Undulating Warriors March 22 - March 28

Peaceful Rainbow

Peaceful Rainbow

Cathlete
Ok, I went back and read what I wrote yesterday and which seemed rambling and included a misspelling that totally changed the meaning of a sentence. :D I'll just blame it on lack of sleep. I realized that it was the equivalent of how wimpy I am when I get sick, because I rarely ever get sick. The period itself is no big deal and never has been, but I've also never had them accompanied by any annoying things either. So, I'm being wimpy about it. :p I did sleep better last night. Not normal, but close enough for me to feel more together today. Heather I may try that idea. It certainly can't hurt anything!

I did Disk 10 today Shoulders, Chest and Biceps. Those quick changes on the heels of Meso 3 seem super fast, but I managed the majority of them and only had to pause briefly a couple times. But, ugh!! Push ups, push ups, push ups and it wasn't even the workout with the most. And I totally passed on those barbell curls with the band, I just upped my weight instead. And for some reason my weight for those Standing Barbell Front Presses was totally out of whack and way high - it would have been way higher than they were using. I'll have to go in and change that.

Heather I hope you have a good travel day today. Yesterday, I realized I should mention to you how I sleep when my lower back is bothering me. I put my pillow folded up under my knees and don't have one under my head and that keeps my back completely flat on the mattress. It's not my favorite sleep position by far, but it really helps my back.

Have a good start to your week Warriors!
 
Hi Warriors!

As it turns out I did absolutely nothing - no work outs - at all this weekend. Shocker, huh!? Today I did a steady state 3.5 mile run, and then disc 10 - shoulders, chest, biceps. I have said this every single week that we do Meso 1, and I'll say it again, Meso 3 to Meso 1 kicks my butt.

Heather - the party at your MIL's sounded fun even though you did a lot of cleaning. Neat trick she taught you about insomnia/falling asleep, I am definitely going to try it. Come to think of it, it sounds a lot like counting sheep! I hope work went well for you today, and you were able to get both your workouts in.

Cathy - Your hormonal shifts, and your transition to the next phase of your fertility - - - has me shaking in my shoes.:eek: How is your energy level through it all - sleep issues aside that is? I did regular push ups instead of the staggered push ups and the bootcamp push ups. And I skipped the band on the bicep curls too. I did do every freakin' push up on my toes though.

Tara and MJ - Work and travel for both of you this week. May it all go ease fully and gracefully. Check back in when you can.:)

I ate a lot of the bread I baked this weekend. :eek: And the tapenade too.:eek:
Now I feel like Poppin' Fresh, or a beached wale. Flour and salt just make me bloat up like nothing else.

I am going outside to work on my garden beds, and tomorrow I am going to give BodyMax2 a try.
 
Hey monday Warriors
Today was a rude shock!!! I haven't worked a full long day outside my home office for a while. I did my CC4 run this morning and then drove 1.5 hours and did article research in the library for the day and then drove home. I am tired....so I think I will just do yoga tonight and save Meso 1 for tomorrow morning and a shorter cardio. The bonus for today is that I get paid for my travel time as well as my work time:p.

Janis - Sometimes a weekend away is a good idea! BodyMax2 is fun and those leg blasts are a challenge! The birthday party was not so good for the clean eating regime this weekend either!

Cathy - I will try your sleep technique for my back tonight. Hope things calm down for you. I am not looking forward to the push-ups tomorrow!!! NOT!

Tara - You should never feel ashamed of how fast you run! No expectations mean no disappointments. As well I read somewhere that no one has ever been injured running slow;).

MJ - Hope you have a nice get away!

Talk to you soon
Heather
 
Good morning Warriors
I thought I would get a quick check in before the munchkin madness started this morning!
I just finished Disc 10. I am going to be VERY sore tomorrow! I had to drop down in weight for almost all the shoulder work. It was like I had lost shoulder strength. And those push-ups were killer but I did them!!! I was really doubting that I could be each time I kept thinking start on your toes and see how you do, and I made it. My back is complaining a little but it could also be stiff from sitting for most of the day yesterday. I think I will try the stability ball for a chair this week...

I am trying to decide what cardio to do next. It's between Insanity and Bodymax2 (thanks to Janis!!!) I really don't feel insane...

Anyways, hope everyone has a good day!
Talk to you soon
Heather
 
Good Morning Warriors!

Just wanted to check in quickly before the day gets totally away from me. I leave this evening for CA and fly home on Sunday. So I will be back around on Monday. I will take some of my time on the airplane to decide what kind of rotation I am going to do next. I may end up doing the undulating rotation with a few modifications since I didnt really get a good chance to see what it can do for me with all the drama and disruptions these past few months. My time away, eventhough it is short, is coming just in time. Hanging on by a very thin thread is even too much to describe how worn out & burnt out mentally I am at this point. Lets hope the 5 days away allows for me to find my mind and put it back in straight since I wont have others minds to find for a few days. lol ;)

Anyway, please take care of yourselves and have a good week. Thanks for all your support as always and I will catch up again on Monday. :cool:
 
MJ I hope you have a smooth trip and enjoy every minute of your vacation!

I'm really hoping that my stars realign before I start the next rotation. I believe I shall start talking to them regularly to encourage their proper alignment. ;)

Last night Derek had an issue with the outcome of a game, got very upset and headed off in the dark across the yard, wearing black of course noting that he was going for good. :rolleyes: Luckily, having not been involved I was able to convince him to come back in. He was still upset at bedtime, so I laid down with him till he fell asleep. Then he woke up around 4:00 and came to tell me he was having "bad thoughts." He never uses the word dreams for some reason. So, I went in with him and then ended up sleeping late. The odd thing is that last year he played baseball with a team that played at least 40 games and he never had issues with losing. But, at home he likes to decide what the outcome will be before the game and this leads to no end of trouble when the outcome doesn't match his!

Anyway, today I did 4DS LIS cardio and AC Medicine Ball Abs this morning. So far, I'm not overly sore from yesterday.

Janis, in truth I think that all my problems last week were linked in large part to my lack of sleep, which likely had a hormonal reason at it's base, but thus far has been my only real brush with a problem during my years of being perimenopausal. It's actually been remarkably easy and it's been going on for at least 5-6 years now.
 
Hi Ladies,

Greetings from Las Vegas! Just wanted to pop in quickly. I'm very jet-lagged after approx 15-16 hours of flying, but am settled in my hotel room & ready to get some Z's. I ended up going into work on Sunday to tie up loose ends (same on Monday) and didn't get to start any Meso 1 workouts. They do have a nice fitness center here, so I'm planning to do wt training on the machines. I will mimic Meso 1 by doing 15 reps for each exercise. Also, will either jog/walk on the treadmill or outside. I'll let you all know how it goes tomorrow!

I haven't read all your posts yet, but I'll catch up on them tomorrow.

See you then!

Tara
 
Tara - glad you made it to Vegas! Have lots of fun - during those times when you get to have fun. ;)

Disk 11 Back & Triceps for me! Think I'll be feeling my triceps again tomorrow, as I was really feeling them. Then I accidentally went 2 lbs heavier on pullovers, as I forgot to take off my wrist weights. I was wondering why the heck I was struggling a bit and didn't realize until I went to put the bar down why! But, I did it, so I went in and changed my 1RM for those.

DH decided he was taking the day off to go birding and got a late start and mentioned to Derek the possibility of going with him, so the two of them have gone off to a national refuge creature hunting. Hopefully, it'll go ok because Derek's favorite creatures are reptiles and amphibians and they aren't out in abundance yet. Most of the frogs are still in the water. But he's my nature kid, so I'm hopeful he'll find something to keep him happy.

That means Nicholas and I are off to homeschool group this afternoon by ourselves. Amazing how one kid being gone changes the whole feel of the day.
 
Good Morning Warriors!

This morning I did Disc 12... after putting the wrong disc in... sleeping in a little. It was like I trying really hard to get out of it. I had to be done by 7:30 to get the kids ready for school. I did everything that I could do. I only did one set of squats and did one legged deadlifts once as well. My back was getting really tired at the end and so were my legs!! After I got the kids on the bus I went for a run. My legs left like dead weights and my usual run took 35.5 minutes as compared to my super speedy run of 31.5 the other day. But in the end I still did the run and had a good stretch after.
Yesterday I ended up finding a disc that my mother had cast off (she is a sad case of "I can't possibly do this") Jillian Michaels Burn Fat and Boost Metabolism workout. It was actually alot like Cardio Core Circuit but a little less intense. I really quite liked it. Today I have to work and go to the dentist. What a great daY;).

Cathy - Hope you are not too sore tomorrow and have fun with your one kid day! I find they are much harder to amuse when they are on their own!

Tara - Have fun in CA! Take advantage of that weight room too!

Janis - I got my Budokon workout last night. I looked at the power and agility. I think it is doable but will take awhile to get the moves down. Kinda like MMA Fusion in that one set with the crouch and leg moving through. It will be awhile before I am up to par and it does not seem to give modifiers to help you build up to the moves. I'll try an easier one tonight.

MJ - Hope you made it to you destination!
Cheers
Heather
 
Hi Ladies

I finished disc 12. Not my best effort by a long shot. My shoulder has been bothering me, and I've got a bad case of apathy. I think eating too much bread has made me a sloth, in addition to bloated and puffy. I think everyone is right - 80% is diet, and for me diet affects everything - mood, emotions, energy, stamina, drive... I'll get back on track by the end of the week.

BTW, today is my one year anniversary with Cathe. My very first workout was Muscle Max.

Heather - I have been curious about that Jillian Micheals workout. I tried a number of hers before starting with Cathe. The body weight exercises in Budokon look challenging. On one hand I want to give them a try, but on the other I think of the effort required to get there and feel resistance! I tell ya -I got a bad case of apathy!

Cathy - Did you enjoy your day with Nicolas? I am happy to hear that - overall - your hormonal phasing has been easy and benign, that's encouraging! I saw a mother at the school this afternoon who I have 'known' for fifteen years. I noticed that she has developed a pronounced curve in upper back, surely it is osteoporosis. She smokes, is rail thin, and drinks pepsi all day. YIKES. I want to thank you again for telling me about the book, "Younger Next Year for Women".

Tara - You made it to Vegas! Remember to go outside and enjoy the sky - both in the morning and at night!

MJ - Hope your flight was uneventful. We're suppose to have nice weather this week. Yay!

I'm off to snap out of my apathy and continue planning my next rotation.
:D
 
Hi Warriors,

I woke up at 4AM this morning, wide awake. I went to the fitness center & was disappointed that it didn't open until 6AM. So, I walked around the hotel/resort. The casino had slot machine players evening at 5AM! After killing some time, I did a 30 min run/walk (2 miles) on the treadmill. Then I did the wt machines for shoulders, chest & triceps, 2 sets of 15 reps on each machine. Definitely not equivalent to STS, but it's keeping me in the rhythm of doing wt workouts. :) I noticed they have free weights, so tomorrow or Friday, I may use those instead of the machines.

Heather, my conference starts early each day. Today it started at 07:45 & didn't end until 6PM. We even had a lunch session. It's interesting information, though & I love hearing about the latest science in health care, so I'm enjoying it. Tomorrow is an earlier start at 0700. My hotel has a spa, so I've scheduled a swedish massage tomorrow evening. I'm doing pretty good at pampering myself despite the long days at the meeting.
Thanks again for your running rotation. I found that I could follow the wk 1 routine pretty well. I'm looking forward to making progress!

Cathy, it sounds like the past few days have been a challenge! Sleep or lack of sleep really does impact how we feel. I hope you are back on track on your normal sleeping schedule and are feeling better!

Janis, I think you deserved having the weekend off from workouts. It's been awhile since you've had a 2 day break from exercising. I bet your body needed the rest. Your bread sounded yummy. It's fun to indulge every so often---I guess the beauty of eating clean usually is that when we do stray away, our bodies remind us quickly that it's better to eat clean! :)

MJ, I so know how you feel about work draining you. I was hitting that wall myself. Although I'm here on business, just getting away from the usual work environment is a much needed break. I hope your week is refreshing & that things will be better at work upon your return. But in the meantime, enjoy your time away! :)

Well, I still am feeling the jet-lag. It's 8:30 PM here & I'm ready to go to bed! I may not workout tomorrow as I have to be at the meeting by 7AM, but will plan to on Friday. I'll see you all then!

Tara
 
This morning I did LIC Cardio and Body Fusion Stability Ball Abs. Starting to feel like I'm back in the swing of things again. So far, my triceps aren't noticeably sore. Go figure. The week before I didn't struggle and they killed me, yesterday felt really tough and they aren't sore. :confused:

I'm taking the boys to MSU (Michigan State) this afternoon for a couple boys high school semi-final basketball games. Then we come back here and go to Nicholas baseball practice. Yesterday, DH and Derek got home from there excursion THREE minutes before we were supposed to leave for Derek's practice. We made it though. It's funny because Nicholas considers the two of them rather amusing when they go off on one of their nature activities. He'll shake his head and mutter about you never know what they'll do next. He and I had a pleasant day, and I got his baseball pants hemmed and we talked a lot and went to homeschool group and the library. He's far more easy going than Derek is, so being with just him is always very relaxing. With Derek I never know when he's going to take exception to something and get totally bent out of shape.

Sleep - I've tried the trick with the eyes and found that 1) it does make my eyes feel very heavy and droopy, 2) it doesn't actually put me to sleep 3) it made me aware of where part of my real problem lies. My ears. Once my eyes are wanting to close and stay that way, I realize that my ears are on high alert. Listening to make sure anything I'm hearing is something that I should be hearing. Going to have to work on that.

Tara sounds like everything is going very well for you there! Got in a great workout and planning a massage!!! Sounds wonderful. I never had to go to conferences for work, but I've been to lots for volunteer work and I've always found them to be a blast! I could easily become a conference junky if I had the money to support the habit. :D

Heather is your back still doing better?

Janis at least your body recognizes food that isn't good for it and lets you know. Most people's bodies are so accustomed to not eating properly that they don't recognize that there lack of energy and other unpleasant problems are diet related. I was talking to a Mom last night at practice who said she drinks 4 - 32 oz Mountain Dews a day!!!!! With that much caffeine in me I would NEVER sleep. Not only that, but I can think of much funner things to spend that much money on!

MJ - hope you're having tons of fun!
 
Hey Everyone

Just a quick note

This morning I tried and made it all the way through Cardio Kickbox Challenge (Tracey) and really enjoyed it. She doesn't train you as well as Cathe but it was fun and something different. My back seems alot better...thanks for all the support over the last two weeks!

off to hit the showers and get the snow tires off and get new ones!
Cheers
Heather
 
Hi Warriors

I was not in the mood to exercise this morning. God, what has happened to me? My shoulder has been bugging me, this afternoon I realized it actually might be a bicep weakness issue. My whole right side is much weaker than my left. How can that be if I am right side dominant? Wear and tear?

ANYWAY - I dragged myself out to the treadmill, turned on Cardio Coach Volume 4 and in less than a minute - all my resistance fell away. I do love running. I ran 4.8 miles. Afterward I tried a new kickbox dvd, Powerstrike, by Ilaria Montagnani. Production quality is much lower than Cathe, but I really enjoyed Ilaria and I learned a lot!

Heather - Changing the tires is a more reliable sign than Ground Hog's Day that winter is over and spring is here! YAY! I bought Amy Bento's Kickbox Surge at the same time as Ilaria's dvd, do you have that one?

Cathy - How was MSU basketball game? What a fun field trip! You do a lot of fun things with your boys. Isn't it funny how siblings seem to have such distinctive and different personalities despite being parented exactly the same?

Tara and MJ - I hope both of you are having a great time, and enjoying your time away from normal routines and patterns.

Well - tomorrow is back and triceps. I may lower the weights significantly.

:D
 
Janis in some areas my left side is actually stronger than my right. I always thought it was in part because when the boys were little I held them on that side to free my right hand to do things and also because I tend to carry things in that hand to free up my right hand to do things. Basically, same thing of course. ;) It's great that you were able to get your mood flipped around and had a good workout.

Taking Derek was not the best idea in the world. He did ok for the first game, but had multiple problems the second game and just basically made it really hard for me to enjoy the game. And the second game was the more entertaining of the two. Nicholas enjoyed himself though. Two games was just, too, much for Derek, but it's a two game ticket. In the future, I'll go back to just taking Nicholas like I did in the past.

MSU is currently playing (out west I believe) and was hopefully practicing for their game tomorrow night. This is the semi-finals of the boys high school games. Saturday, I'm taking them down to my parents, so we can watch the finals on TV.

Off to set up my workout card for tomorrow morning.
 
Unplanned rest day here. :( Derek issues - stuffy, unable to breathe and go to sleep this time. So, I slept until 8:00, and we're going to do all the shopping today. Planning to do STS Legs before we leave for my parents tomorrow morning. Really will have to wake up at the usual time as I need to be packed and on the road by 8:45.
 
Good Morning Everyone

Today may turn into a rest day. I couldn't get to sleep last night and I seem to be all stuffed up and just tired. If it works later when I get home I'll do Back and Triceps.

So I did something a little crazy yesterday. When I was out I saw Kettlebells on sale. I have been reading up on them (the Cathe forum is way to enabling!) and decided to jump as they were on sale of course!!! So I am a proud owner of a kettlebell. I tried some swings last night and YES it does get your heartrate up right away! Something to play with when I am done this round of STS.

I am feeling the punching and kicking from yesterdays kickbox workout and I am a little worried about Back and Triceps. I will be very gentle with myself!

Cathy - Hope you day doesn't get too crazy and you are able to get your workout in before you head off on your trip.

Janis - Here are my thoughts on burn out...
The last couple weeks when I have only been able to workout when my body said it was okay have been challenging and I had to relax about getting my workout in or the duration of my workout. I have to say it felt good to relax. I am not going to spontaneously combust if I don't get my workout in. And it is way more fun when there is no pressure!
I don't have any of the powerstrike workouts but I have looked at the clips. I went with the Cardio kickbox Challenge instead... funny that we both got new Kickboxing workouts!

Tara and MJ - Hope you are having a great trip

Cheers
Heather
 
Hi Ladies,

Just wanted to pop in quickly. This morning I did an outside run/walk around the resort property. I'm not sure what the distance was, but it was about 30min. Very nice weather with lots of sunshine here, so it was pleasant. I also did the wt machines for back & triceps.

Gotta get to the conference, but I'll plan to pop in again tomorrow.

Have a good Friday!
Tara
 
Afternoon Warriors!

I am really feeling it from yesterdays Back and Triceps! I actually woke up in the night briefly with my triceps on fire! This morning I ran CC5 on the treadmill and my arms were burning just from running! Today was rink take down day and I must have really gone hard with my run because my heart rate kept jumping up when I was carrying things around etc. The biggest glitch was my Dad was helping me and he wanted me to help him lift his rototiller into the back of his car. It did not fit and it was really heavy. My lower back is not really sore again but a little sore. I am hoping that I have not caused more problems.
Anyways, today is a play day and movie day for the kids so I had better get going!

Cathy - Hope you got your workout in before you went to your Mom's!

Janis - So what kettlebell workout did you get? I have been playing around with it and really like it. So far. I downloaded Lauren Brookes but I will wait to try the whole workout when this rotation is over.

Tara - How is the running going? Are you learning anything cool at the conference?

MJ - I hope you are relaxing!!!

Talk to you all soon
Heather
 
Hi Ladies

I didn't do back and triceps yesterday, I opted to rest my shoulder, instead I did a steady state run on the treadmill. Today I did my second round of M1W4 legs - and decided to not do any other workouts.

Heather - I bought Lauren Brooks two dvds, Ultimate Body Sculpt, 1 & 2. I am really looking forward to it. In deference to my shoulder I haven't tried, yet, any kb lifts from the brochure, or from the dvd that came with my Gofit KB. I suspect I am going to really love kb. I have been looking at this guy, Steve Cotter, http://www.fullkontact.com/, for future dvds. I like him and his approach.
Thanks for your feedback on burnout. I think I might need a massage, and to consult with a PT. ( a hot bath wouldn't hurt either.)

Cathy - How are you and the boys? Did everyone get sick?

Tara - Have you been enjoying the desert air and sky? I love how the desert smells first thing in the morning. :)

MJ - How was your visit to Sac ?

If anyone has tips on how to address this shoulder issue - I am all ears. I am not sure if it is a rotator cuff problem or overuse injury (from my laptop/gardening/baking) or if I have a bicep strain. I plan on lifting Monday - hopefully with rest and ibuprofen I'll see some improvement soon.

:D
 
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