Night to Morning Conversioning

I think I may have just made up a word.

One of the hardest things about trying to squeeze in all these workouts is the realization that there is no other way to get it done but sacrificing sleep and converting to the *dreadful* morning person. If I were a "go to bed at a decent hour gal", it probably wouldn't be so difficult.  But the thing of it is, I stay up late. And like it.  Giving that up will be the toughest.

My buddy has figured this out long before I, so getting her morning texts are very VERY helpful. It's good to know I'm not the only one waking up at an unGodly hour to go WORKOUT? I am the first to get up (or never go to bed) when there's travel involved. But the energy required to exercise at that time is sometimes nonexistent. Nor the motivation.

As a night owl, I'm reluctant to admit that it's getting easier. At least I can say that now, since today's early class was cancelled. My bedtime is slowly rolling back to mid Jimmy Fallon to early Seth Myers range. Ha! My binge watching of House of Cards with hubby is suffering though. I fall asleep and then wake up when something big has happened and I feel we have to watch the episode again. To be fair, he falls asleep too so it's a do over for both of us! Lol.

I started with one weekly early class.  Now, I am early rising 3 to 4 times a week!!  (WHAT?!)

A few things that seem to help this painful transition:

1 - Psyche yourself up the night before

Usually after one really good workout, start thinking of the next. Think about how "tomorrow morning" you will get the big run, swim or whatever done and off the list.  Think about how much stronger you are after each workout.  All this is necessary because you will need to remind yourself of this when the alarm goes off at 4:30 and you snooze and ask yourself "whyyyyyyyyy???"

2 - Get yo stuff together

Set your clothes out. Your gym bag, water bottle, swim bag, bike shoes/bike by the door, whatever gear you need...have it ready to go.  This minimizes the time fumbling around in the morning when your eyes are still stuck together which in turn means, more time in bed. See? Win-win!  I can get from bed to driver's seat in about 15 minutes.  (I can and have but doesn't necessarily mean I DO each time...work in progess, k?)

3 - Fuel Up

I'm not saying you need a full breakfast but you certainly need a lil something in the tank to get you moving.  I've tried with and without coffee and maybe half a banana.  It CAN be done with an empty stomach or without caffeine but for ME, it was one less thing I can blame my sluggishness too.  It's a mind game, I tell ya.  If I had even half a cup of joe, it makes me happy and satisfied and ready to go. Whether or not the caffeine actually works is uncertain.  I'm thinking adrenaline takes over so really, whatever it takes to get you to the starting block is good enough.

4 - Pound the Alarm!

I have a motivational title to my workout alarm.  It's something to the tune of: "GET YOUR ASS UP!" followed by a string of workout and tropical destination type emojis.  Does it help?  Not really, but it's the isolated alarm for that purpose that gives it the sense of being special.  I can't let it down. Having the caps and bad word makes it feel like a mean personal trainer yelling at me. Not really, but just go with it.  Extra tip, you are a habitual snoozer to the point that you sleep through your entire workout session time, set your phone on the other side of the room (so annoying) but even more effective, put it on your non-early rising husband's night stand.  He will be SURE you get your ass up and out of the house in a hurry! (So I hear....ha!)


5 - Buddy System - Real or Virtual

This is by far, the most helpful of things.  If I committed to meet someone for a run before dawn, I would NEVER leave them hanging or sacrifice their workout for my lack of motivation.  I WILL BE THERE.  The same goes for our cycling class or meeting for group runs.  On the days when you have to go at it alone, however, draw on the support of the virtual buddy.  These are people that are in your same boat...living the same struggle of trying to fit it ALL in with limited time and opportunity. Your peoples, your tribe.  They scratch your back and you scratch theirs...text them when the alarm goes off, wake them up, give them the pep talk when they are just in a funk and don't wanna...and likely, they will do the same for you.  You will both like each other better later in the day when your workouts are complete! Ha! (experience speaking!)

What has helped me SO much with this transition is the feeling of getting to work after a good workout, getting kids ready and out the door, carpooling and traffic, knowing that it. is. done!  You can actually look forward to working the rest of the day and going about your evening duties (carpool/taxi/dinner/homework/family time) without the stress of having to find the time to leave all that and squeeze a workout in.

It's so gratifying that I don't mind nodding off a little earlier than usual.

Happy Monday all!

Valerie

Ctrl Alt Delete...reboot!

My computer has been running really slow lately.  My phone is acting the same way.  It appears that I'm out of storage space.  Come to think of it, that extra set of garages is kinda full too.  It's amazing how many toys, bikes, gadgets, golf clubs and a plethora of other stuff a family of six can accumulate.

Although this could easily become a post about how I need to sell, purge and organize my life, I don't have a week to talk about all the things I need to do.  I'll tackle that a bit at a time.

Just as our homes and electronics get bogged down, so do our bodies.  In my case, I caved to my sweet tooth one too many times.  I was doing so well getting to my "fit, fab & forty" body and then the birthday came and I totally let the wheels come off the bus.  Cakes and desserts at the end of every celebratory meal and then a couple of holidays...Valentine's Day and Mardi Gras flanked the day with an abundance of chocolate and king cake.  I think that's all past us now but what remains is the incredibly sluggishness that I feel.

Good news bad news is still that I lost my butt.  I didn't necessarily gain weight but I feel "soft" and particularly around my middle. So, no butt and squishy midsection...that's where I am at now and I'll say, I'm not particularly thrilled with it.  Especially the sluggish part.  Granted, the weather has been incredibly bipolar and I appreciate it letting me use it as an excuse because...I just didn't feel like working out.  Shoot, I STILL don't! Bleh.

Case in point...I did week 4 & 5 of T25 twice!  Why?  Because I did such a crappy job of staying on it that I felt like I needed to redo it until I got it right.  And I still didn't.

Yesterday, although I felt like anything BUT working out, I knew I HAD to.  I have got to lift out of this funk and get moving again.  Rebooting the workout plan was probably the only way to do it so I went ahead and started the Beta portion of T25, week 1 last night.  I also tried to fix a healthy meal for myself.  Flying solo with 4 kids in the evening does not make for creative, healthy cooking, I learned.  The kids were fed, bathed, homework was done and everyone was in bed and yet, I never got around to eating what I made.  I had made a batch of quinoa which I knew I could doctor up with something I found on pinterest.  I did exactly that and tweaked it some more for the ingredients I did have (butternut squash versus sweet potato) and those patties just fell apart on me.  Oh, well...they tasted great, just not pretty.  Regardless, I ended up having a bowl a cereal after my workout because anything else felt too heavy at midnight.  Yes, midnight.
I had to also catch up on my yoga challenges...because kind of ignored that too.  Before I knew it, it was Tuesday.

The Cardio dvd was really what I needed...I didn't know what to expect and they REALLY step it up with intensity.  I was actually looking at that timer on the screen as it counted down wishing it would move FASTER.  Ugh.

I am looking forward to Speed 2.0 tonight but am afraid that after a week of trying all the workouts in the series, I will be bored.  Not to mention, I don't feel like I am getting any stronger.  I think I'll add some strength training somehow tonight however, long term, I need to find something else that will get me amped up.  Thank goodness for my aerial class...I really look forward to going to that every week.

I'll be searching for new ideas to keep things fresh.  Stay tuned on that.  In the mean time, I am hoping the weather cooperates more so that I can finally start taking my bike out for some long rides (fantastic glutes emerge here!).

Have a fantastic Tuesday & get movin' (no matter what time...just do it!)

~V

A new era has begun.

Or not. After years of spot work outs with Tony (Horton, from P90X, we are on a first name basis) my hubby and I have decided to mix it up and include Shaun T in our lives.  We borrowed an Insanity video recently that included the "Fit Test".  After watching from the couch in its entirety first (because "Insanity" is admittedly a scary term), we jumped in and did the test.  I was mighty proud of myself for getting the amount of reps that I did for some of those exercises! My biggest concern was the cramping that occurs in my feet when I do that level of jumping in most cardio exercises but I managed to make it through the fit test relatively unscathed. (I dealt with the cramps i.e. sucked it up).

We (meaning, HE) decided to do some research on some other Shaun T workout programs and came upon Focus T 25. It's also by Beachbody and it's a shorter version of Insanity. Lesser time per workout, 5 days a week rather than 6 but NO breaks between exercises.  We like the idea of a shorter work out with the same intensity which is also what P90X3, who just came out to market, is touting.  He compared the two programs and was leaning towards T25.  The foot cramp thing made me uneasy so I leaned the other way to P90X3 and because it also has a variety of workouts that I enjoy like Yoga, Pilates and some circuit weight training.  I seemed to have swayed him.  He pulled the trigger on P90X3 but somehow inadvertently, T25 showed up on our doorstep at the same time that he completed his order. Whoopsie! I guess during his initial research, he got trigger happy! Ha!  Rather than return it we decided to keep it and give it a go since it was IN. MY. HANDS! 

Monday (yesterday) was our first day.  My two biggest concerns were the foot cramps I mentioned and the other was whether 25 minutes would seem like a full workout. When I got home, my hubby had just completed it.  He was dripping in sweat (but alive) so I quickly changed and took my turn.  My initial thoughts:

OW, MY FEET!  Ugh.  I pushed and got it done but honestly, nothing, not my quads, calves or heart for that matter felt the pain like my feet did.  I'll have a separate post on this because upon googling late last night, I found it's a common issue and I am determined to figure this thing out.

After the heat in my feet subsided I felt like I could go for a run.  It went by very quick and like an intense warm up.  I'm thinking that they start you off "easy" so they can give you a one, two sucker punch later in the week to make you take back anything you ever said about the first couple of days. (so I'll tread lightly...:) )

It felt good to have so much extra time in the evening to work on yoga stretches and the challenge I'm currently working on (of course I am).  I also like that Shaun T is no nonsense.  He just cuts to the chase and before you know it you are jumping around the room with sweat dripping from your nose.  There is a short cool down after the 25 minute workout is complete to help stretch out those big muscles but that is not included within the workout time so you get a SOLID 25 minutes of GO.

Today, Houston is in the middle of a "Snowpocalypse",  meaning the whole city shuts down with the smallest threat of snow or ice on the roads.  Schools are closed and work is on a "if you have to come in" basis. So, I figured I'd get day 2 out of the way while hubby and I swapped half days for work.  I did "Speed 1.0" and I went for it barefooted.  Seemed crazy but surprisingly, much less cramping.  The jump squat landings were a bit hard on my feet but I sucked it up as best I could.

Again, before you can even want a sip of water, it's over.  The last 7 minutes were the hardest only because the baby who was watching me from the bouncer and had been laughing at my antics the whole time, was getting tired.  I had to add extra acrobatics to keep him entertained through to the end.

I should mention that my legs were sore when I woke up this morning so last night's workout was effective. And now, a few hours after day 2's workout, my legs feel pretty solid.  THIS is a step in the right direction!
My take away so far is that I have got to find a solution for the foot arch cramp issue.  Until then, I will continue to push through as long as I can. At the very least until the next shipment arrives on my doorstep! Stay tuned for a follow up review at the end of week 1.

Happy Snow Day all...stay warm!

~V

So where are we with this thing?

This thing we call a baby fitness blog, you mean? Oh yea. That. I admit, I have been a total slacker (in more ways than one). This blog has fallen so far back on the burner that it's not even in the kitchen. Wha? I have been exercising, which if you follow me on Instagram or Twitter --->, you know of my progress. I just have failed miserably to sit a write about it. Baby #4 is now 15 weeks old and a pure joy in our lives. He is so happy all of the time and flashes a smile so easily that I spend most of my time around him in an utter state of goo and gah. Not even kidding about that. Along with all my other "plans" for 2014, I do intend to keep this space updated with routines, workouts and may incorporate reviews on exercise gear, local "boutique" gym classes and share some of my smoothie recipes that have been a hit (not the beet one...ha!). Stay tuned and hope you'll come visit and join me in my journey on remaining "Baby Fit". ~V P.S. - I'll also start researching on how best to revamp this site. I am not thrilled with it's appearance but unfortunately, writing code is not something I am proficient at. Suggestions and tips welcomed! :)

Partnerships that help get it DONE

The success of a business is sometimes as good as the partnership of the people behind it.  If the people don't "partner" well, the business is likely to suffer.  The same goes with my fitness regimen and partnerships needed for it to work.

As difficult as it is to be motivated to start an exercise program and have the energy to stick with it, it is more difficult to (and even tricky) to actually get it done when you have a big family abundant with activities for everyone.  Sure, the plan could be to "ride my bike" today...but with soccer, a newborn, toddler and other logistical issues, those simple three words are tough to get crossed off that to-do list.  That is unless, you are married to my husband.  He tells me all the time "just do it, I'll figure it out".

He is THE reason why I have been able to do Aerial classes or join the Masters Swim class at the gym in the evenings. He is the ONLY reason I can get bike rides in.  I mean, how else do you go on a bike ride with an infant?  No nannies, no housekeepers or maids here...just an awesome husband who will coach, help with homework, make dinner, change diapers, give baths, put babies to sleep, help with the endless loads of laundry and pick up any slack that I may leave to run to get a workout in.  It's his ability to do it without so much a complaint that makes it easy for me to follow through and keep on some sort of program (as erratic as it may seem).

He is the reason why I was able to get a 16 mile bike ride in yesterday.  I didn't want to miss soccer but the timing was such that if I really wanted to get that ride in, the morning was the only time.  He did not hesitate to tell me that he had it covered.  "Just go and do it, you'll feel better and we'll be fine" he said.
I felt guilty but I knew that I needed to get on my bike and get miles in before this du.  I had just picked it up from getting a tune up and because it was my first post baby ride, I was nervous!  I had those pre-race jitters which made me all the more grateful that my friend Rox asked to join me late Friday night.  She just got a bike and is the one who is always sending me races to sign up for (including the Du that we are doing together next month).  Although she has just jumped in and already done a couple of small tris, she too was nervous.

It was a cool and overcast morning which normally makes it incredibly difficult to get out of bed but that nervous energy popped me right out.  I got the bike loaded up and was ready to go and even pumped breakfast for my little guy.  It was nice to not feel rushed about getting back and knowing that I can enjoy the ride and even extend it if I wanted to.  I could not ask for a better ride. My bike felt like new, complete with a new chain and I was stocked up with tubes and CO2 cartridges, just in case.  I pushed hard and got to show my friend parts of the trail she had never seen.  A great workout!  I dropped her off at home afterwards and called my husband, thinking they were well on their way to soccer.  I was envisioning a shower, smoothie and running errands while they were gone when he said they were down the street fueling up.  What?!  I'm back that early?  He offered to come get me and I swear I've never showered and changed so fast!

As much as I could have used a nap or some quiet time all to myself, there is no other place I'd rather be than with my clan.  He picked me up and off we went.  The sky cleared up and it turned out to be a gorgeous Fall day at the soccer field (both literally and figuratively.)  As it turned out, later he and the big boy went on a boy's mountain trail bike ride at Memorial Park with friends and I was happy to return the favor!

I recognize that without this buddy system, staying in shape is way more difficult to near impossible.  Props to you babe.  Thank you.

~V

6 weeks - it's official!

I'm pregnant! Ha! Just kidding.

It is, however, officially time to get started on a program! Six weeks marks a big milestone in the post baby world (if you didn't have a c-section).  It marks getting the all clear from the doctor to resume "regular", pre-pregnancy type activities.

That means I'm ready to get back in the saddle! Now, the hardest part of getting on a regular exercise schedule/routine is getting motivated and STARTED. I discussed this at length when I first started this blog. It's pretty much my achiles heel. The longer I go without starting, the more difficult it is, the more miserable I feel and more doomed the whole getting healthy thing becomes. This is especially difficult with a newborn now in tow.  Time seems more strained and the needs of every member of the family from me has grown by one more.

Getting fit and more importantly, staying fit, is particularly difficult during this "fourth trimester".  It's this time where we are juggling breast feeding, hormonal changes (night sweats, losing hair, vision changes) and functioning at 100% with sleep deprivation that adding a workout seems a bit crazy.

As soon as I left the doctor's office, I felt motivated.  I had my stats and could now benchmark where I was and where I am now (weight-wise anyway).  I signed up for a race in early December for starters (more on that later) and then, I made sure that I went out for a real run before the weekend was out.  I figured that was enough to get me excited and to start the week ahead with a bang.

Monday and Tuesday came and went, however, and that motivation was long gone.  The thought of working out was SO hard.  Ugh.  I thought about going to the gym.  But didn't.  I thought about going for a run.  But didn't.  Wednesday was looking the same and then I realized that the week was moving along and if I didn't do something, anything at all, I was going to fall into complacency and just give up on this first week.   So, knowing I had little time in my day left before the evening craziness began (kids home from school, homework, projects, soccer playoffs, etc) I decided to pop in a P90X DVD and see how much I can finish.  I got Shoulders & Arms done. Yay!

By Thursday morning, I decided on whim that I was just going to do the P90X workout in its entirety daily with modifications on days that I run or ride.  So, I did Ab Ripper (which I ran out of time for the day before) and moved along to YogaX.  I'm hoping that I can keep it going for the rest of the week. My weeks turn on Fridays since that's when baby was born so on that technicality:

Week 1 PP:
5k
P90X Shoulders & Arms
P90X Ab Ripper X
P90X YogaX

Stats:
- Pregnancy weight gain: 34lbs
- Weight difference from beginning of pregnancy & 6 week checkup: 16lbs
- Immediate goal:  To finish a Duathlon in early December.

Surprise, surprise for week 38

Who'd a thunk it?  At 38 and half weeks, I  got through my Aerial Tone class.  The only part I skipped was the ab portion for obvious reasons but I managed to do the ENTIRE rest of the class.  I realize that I will probably be unable to blow dry my hair tomorrow but that kind of pain is so well worth it.

I realized while driving after the class (other than how hungry for a cheeseburger I was) how good I felt.  My belly felt less heavy and I had an overwhelming feeling of strength.  Yes, I was sitting at the time but lately, that seems to be the most uncomfortable of positions especially climbing in and out of cars!

{That was going to be the genesis of the post...surprise for capability at 38+weeks & surprise at how it made me feel better to move more - however, a bigger surprise came when the next day after if written the above, I went into labor. Surprise! That's the end of pregnancy fitness updates! Our baby boy was born at 38 weeks, 6 day gestation. Healthy & absolutely amazing, he's got the whole clan head over heels for him. Stay tuned for a quick labor post and what will now be my post pregnancy fitness/health journey back to my old me (and better!)}

My 38 week goal was to get through an Aerial Tone class and one swim workout.  One of two is not bad and in true "me" fashion, the last thing I said before leaving our driveway for the hospital was "I guess I'm not swimming tomorrow". How's that for commitment to the program? Ha!

More to come...

~V

Week 34...to sum it up

One big fat goose egg. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada de nada. 

Need I say more?

Ok, I will. I didn't have time or energy and even if I had a five minutes for some squats or a plank, I just didn't feel like it. I gave in to the pleasure of doing nothing in the fitness department. 

I felt guilt up until Thursday and then I decided I was ok with going a solid week with no exercise. Perhaps I was ok with it because there were so many other important things happening. 

It was a tough week complete with work all nighters, school open houses, met ambitious self set work deadlines, sick children, doctors appointments, a soccer tournament, a baby shower, moving of in laws, school shopping and a partridge in a pear tree. 

There's much more but thinking about it wears me out. More. 

Hopefully the first week of school will be good to us despite some new changes this year. 

Week 35...here we come. It's a roll of the dice how this one is going to end up. 

Hope yours runs smoothly and you can keep active and moving!

~V

Brace yourself for a grueling Week 33 update

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

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

I can breathe! - Diary update of a swim newbie Part 3

I just couldn't wait until post baby.  I couldn't.  I have conquered the fear of standing on my hands and on my head and I could tell you a horrific story of conquering one of my greatest fears (roaches), but I'll spare you the Creep Show-esqueness of that story. I probably just really dated myself by even mentioning that movie, didn't I?  Anyway, my most recent (and my husband would say, ridiculous) fear has been traversing the pool sans snorkel.  I guess I've built it up SO much and used the darn thing as a crutch during the pregnancy that the idea of not having it started becoming...well, scary.

Last night, I went to the pool and did a swim workout that I modified from one I found on the web.  I wanted to focus on my legs so I figured a kick workout would cover it.  It looked like this:

Swim Workout #15

Category: Intermediate

Workout Goal:Improve kicks and timing

Total Distance:1800 yards

·         400 yards freestyle warmup 

(choice of strokes)

·         200 yards crawl alternating lengths of pull and kick

(on the first 25 pull only, on the second 25 kick only, repeat -- do not use a kick board)

·         4 x 100 yards flutter kick arounds

(one length each of kicking on stomach, left side, right side and back -- ok to use kick board)

·         4 x 50 yards crawl, resting :15 between

(count 3 kicks per arm stroke)

·         2 x 100 yards IM kick only

(with or without kickboard)

·         400 yards freestyle warmdown

(swim choice of strokes slowly)

Notes:

 On the 200 yards alternating pull and kicks, do not usse a kickboard. Instead hook your thumbs together and hold them out in front of you wilth face in the water. Lift face out of the water to breath as needed.

This workout is a total of 1800 yards and 700 of those yards are kicking. With the exception of the IM kick drill, it is ok to use swim fins if you like. Swim fins can help to strengthen your leg muscles by adding resistance and making your muscles work harder. You do not have to use swim fins though and the swim drills are sequenced so that you alternate some swimming with kicking.

I modified it by changing the warm up to 600M at 200/200/200 EZ/Kick/Pull. I also swam the first 200 kick drills with my head down in the water working on bilateral breathing (because one day I'll need that!). The unexpected and completely unplanned thing I did was that at cool down...I ditched the snorkel!! I should be using all CAPS for that! (Considering how I mentioned it here and here) I figured I would just swim an EZ 200 but I hung there by the side of the pool, I thought...what the heck. Let's tear this thing off and see how it feels. I have been working on breathing intervals the last couple of weeks and I just did the whole bilateral thing so I just figured I'd work off of that. Aaaand it also helps that there weren't many people at the pool.

The first 25 were horrific. I barely made it to end of the pool without gasping or swallowing water. The second 25 were a little better but my breathing was hurried and my timing was off. By the time I got to the end of the pool, I was just pissed off at myself. I was way over thinking this thing.

So I went again. This time I used the same pattern as with the snorkel...one big breath in, hold, 3 arm strokes, blow all the air out and THEN go out for a big breath. Shaky at first but I got the hang of it. The next 25 I started alternating sides to which I would take a breath. It required a lot of mechanical thought which I am guessing was nerve induced and because that first 50 was a mess, I was worn out.

I decided to call it a day...a successful day at that!

So the lesson here I guess is: Don't wait until tomorrow, er, I mean, until after you're cleared to exercise POST-baby to do what you can do today, at 31 1/2 weeks pregnant. Anxiety levels about this have started to diminish which means that I will keep working on that every week until the baby comes so that when I do come back...I can put it in total beast mode. Lol!

Happy Friday all and get out there and stay active!

~V

Swim lingo decoder: diary of a newbie Part 2

You can't teach an old dog new tricks they say.  Learning how to read a swim workout is a new trick I wasn't prepared for.  I thought swimming involved nothing more than a large body of water, arms and legs moving simultaneously and breathing. In some sort of coordinated effort. Oh what a simpleton I was to think that!

Once I figured out how to work on that coordination, which by the way I am happily improving on with every Masters class I attend, I realized that there is a shorthand of terms that are thrown about haphazardly around the pool.  I never noticed before because I was busy with the basics or perhaps I was thinking that was a "pro" language that surely I would never have to learn.  I was wrong.

Whenever a coach can't make practice, the weather is bad (it's cold) or if there is a long holiday break when no classes are being held, it is customary to get an emailed workout from the coach.  My first email back when I was pregnant with #3 in 2011, looked like this:

I did not follow this workout. Obvs!  My eyes crossed a little and I gave up on trying to translate this into English.  I just went up to the pool and swam mundanely back and forth, trying ever so hard to not lose count of how many laps I'd put in (was that 19 or 21? Ugh!).  This particular coach is not very consistent with how she writes her workouts up because the next one looked like this:

Oh my goodness.  Whaaat??? I could decipher about a 3rd of that message (and reading it now, there are still things that I don't know!)  So, I passed but going to the pool again and just counting 1, 2, 18, 32, 47 can get REALLY boring.  I started looking into buying a waterproof mp3 player to help pass the time and after a few web searches I instead decided to put that effort into LEARNING what the heck all that mumbo jumbo meant.

So here is a swimmer's lingo translator for beginners.  FOR BEGINNERS.  Which I am still.  I am sure there are bunch of other terms and shorthand that I am completely unaware of and I'll be sure to include that in the Intermediate or Advanced installment of this post (if I ever get there).

First and foremost...laps or lengths?  I thought a lap was point A to B. WRONG.  THAT is a length. Point A to B and BACK to A is a lap.  So...if you swim 20 laps, you have gone the LENGTH of the pool 40 times.

Pool distance.  That's another doozy beginner's are unaware of.  How long is the length of pool you are swimming in?  Most people have no clue but in my case, the club owner and the swim director are always willing to stop by and chat and they for sure knew the answer when I asked.  The majority of lap pools are 25 yards or 25 meters.  Bigger fitness facilities or aquatic centers will have a 50M or Olympic sized pools.

So, in a 25M pool, if you swim a "100" you've gone 2 laps or 4 lengths of the pool.  Easy peazy, right?

100M = 2laps = 4lengths

To expand on that for the sake of relativity:

1 mile = 1609.34 meters = 32.19 laps = 64.37 lengths
.5 mile = 804.67 meter = 16.09 laps = 32.19 lengths

Sprint Triathlon - usually .5 mile or 750M (but can be shorter (200-500) & sometimes referred to as a "Super Sprint")
Olympic Triathlon - .93 miles
Half Ironman (IM) - 1.2 miles
Full IM - 2.4 miles (!!!!!)

Easy to see how counting back and forth can be a chore, not to mention incredibly easy to lose track.  In my case, I end up swimming "extra" just in case so I don't short change my work out.  And that's just crazy talk.

Usually a swim workout is structured like any other workout, start with a warm up, have a main work out and then a cool down to wrap it up.  My warm up has consistently looked like this:

200 easy free
200 pull
200 kick
200 1 arm free

That's a half mile warm up right there.  In my past life, I would just call it a day right then! But in layman's terms, this is what that means:

Free - Freestyle swimming or the "Front Crawl"
Pull - Using a pull buoy between your legs so only your arms are activated during your swim.
Kick - Using a kick board so your arms rest and your legs do all the work.
1 arm - I am sure there is a more technical name for this but it basically means swimming freestyle using the right arm only going up one length and only the left coming back.
Easy - or "EZ" not necessarily slow, but a good time to be aware of form.

The main workout can be configured in many different ways to either focus on speed, form, breathing, etc.  I really like that there is a format because the monotony goes away and before you know it, you've swam at least a good mile and probably more in an hour's long class.

What I didn't know until last week that I know now is the "3,5,7 breathing" talk going on in that second email up there.  Since I started drafting this post, I had a workout that consisted of something just like it.  It's a breathing interval workout where (as in the above example) you'd swim 200 (4 laps) using a Pull Buoy (arms only) and every 50 within that (1 lap) you alter breathing patterns by taking a breath every 3 arm strokes, then every 5 strokes for the next 50 and so on. 

As someone (a 29 week pregnant lady) that needs every bit of air they can in a workout, my intervals were more like 3,4,5,4,3 and when things got tough at 5, I'd ratchet down.  The rest of my class this week was going up to 8 I think.  (Also while my workouts tap out at about 1800M theirs usually go to anywhere between 2000-2400M).

Sometimes the workout will say "drill" which means you can choose what drill to use during that particular part of the work out.  I have not been exposed to a whole lot of drills but since you're out here on the internet, you know there is a plethora of information out here with ideas.  I did a quick search a found a few places that have more useful information including drill and full blown workouts...check them out!

http://100swimmingworkouts.com/
http://beta.active.com/swimming/Articles/Swimming-Workouts
http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/premium/swimming_technique/2009b.asp
http://www.ironman.com/triathlon-news/articles/2013/06/ironman-101-swim-workouts.aspx#axzz2ZQm8KaAc

This is all just scratches the surface of what all you can do during a swim workout.  It's always nice to have a class to join for the comraderie, motivation and extra push but if you can't and do have access to a pool, there's no reason to make it a fruitful and fun workout.  In addition to the pull buoy, kickboard, swim cap and goggles in your bag (and the snorkel I mentioned here), you can also add some extra gear to make things a little more interesting.   Paddles, flippers, ankle weights and gloves can all work on conditioning and technique...you'll just need a bigger bag! And don't get me started on the gadgets...mp3 players, lap counters, stop watches and watches that track everything from heartrate to distance, pace, splits, stroke rate, etc.  

Photo credit: http://brendanrake.me/2013/02/

For me, I'm keeping it simple and just trying to keep up with the Master Swimmers by doing as much of the workout as possible while still feeling comfortable and not over doing it.  I'd love to swim all the way through the end of the pregnancy and get started back up post baby as soon as I am able. My coach, who has been very encouraging and who called me a "hero" this week, has already been alerted that my goal post baby is to come back ready to ditch the snorkel and kick it in to high gear.  We will do just that and then watch out! Ha!

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 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!

Here's a pic of the final #YogainSpace challenge for June. A nice meditative lotus position amongst blue trees. 

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! 

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! 

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. 

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!)

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

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Last week's exercise wrap up will be not of a physical sort (since I worked out zilch) but rather about exercising the ability and right to improve your mental and emotional status by implementing CHANGE. Change. Such a simple word but with such complex implications wouldn't you say? I made a life change decision last week. It was a stressful period letting one thing go but also an exciting one to embrace the next new thing. This current week, I am in transition. I wouldn't say limbo because I know where I am going and I know that it's going to be great. I pat myself on the back for having the courage to take the steps necessary to make that change happen. Many people don't do that. They fear the change, or really, the unknown so much that they rather stick with what they know indefinitely, even if it makes them miserable or they no longer find any joy in what they are doing. I found this great quote that I shared with a friend that is experiencing some of what I did: "Do not fear change. Change fear." - Karen Salmansohn I've learned many lessons and one is this: You don't HAVE to accept mediocrity, misery, judgment or drama because it's served to you. And with that, I'll just say that I had one too many servings and decided that was enough. I'm not interested in drama. I have a very full, fulFILLING and happy life to let miserable person(s) attempt to break me down over irrelevant, insignificant things. Life is too short, folks. Stay focused on the things/people that bring you joy...and if someone tries to stand in the way of that...I say, cut them OUT. I know how hard it is to make the move but boy once it's done, what a relief! So on week 21, I threw a big monkey off my back. It was a huge load off and a heck of a workout. ;) The baby bump is growing, the knot is my shoulder is slowing releasing and as my friend said just yesterday that I look radiant! (Not sure if it's the pregnancy, the monkey off my back or the fantastic skincare products I've been using...but I'll take it!!) :) I've been keeping busy during my off week to make up for all that lost exercise, a post on that coming next Monday. Yay for change and moving forward and upward. Til next week, keep your eye on the prize. ~V