Lurker Invitations Feb. Check-In

Hi everybody. Yesterday was a rest day for me and the day just got away from me and I never got to post. This morning I was back with S&H, legs and shoulders. I've finally recovered from triceps and biceps from last Saturday which I think masked chest and back on Monday.

Shoegal: sitting and levitating is quite the challenge. Last year, I asked my Master Gunnery Sergeant at work if she could do it. Of course, this Marine doesn't have an ounce of fat on her and she could. But--it's not in the arms, the movement is all in the core. My neighbor's daughter who is a gymnast confirmed this for me (even though she has magnificent arm muscles as well). I can do the sit and levitate for short bites of time. The Core Max routines have really helped.

Janie: I'm interested in knowing how you've gotten your DH to exercise with you. Is he just very motivated or did you have some special approach? Wish I could get my DH to join me for at least the weight work. Glad to hear that your pup is okay.

Ironlady: sorry to hear that your dad is not doing well. The good part is that his health motivates you in a positive way to workout.

Hope everyone has a good evening.
~michelle
 
Hello All,

Ok, I had a burger and fries today, feeling guilty but it was delicious! Within 2 hours though my stomach turned against me to let me know how angry it was for putting red meat in it. I do not eat red meat except for the little bit that is in the spaghetti sauce that I make on Sundays when DH is home. But know it feels like I am digesting an elephant, ugh!

Michele-S&H bicep and tricep, is that the one that left you so sore since last Saturday? I love that kinda soreness. I will have to do that sometime soon just for giggles and grins.

Laura-I was thinking of your client yesterday who popped herself in the face with her theraband. I was using a therband when doing pulldowns yesterday for STS #, well can't remember the number (thank you perimenopause!) but the one for back & triceps. I have 6 different colored therabands and I really like the quality. When I was putting the band through the do-hickey the goes over the door I made sure to double check it as I didn't want it coming at me at high velocity!

Janie-please do share your secret on getting your Joey to workout with you. Mine stands there watches me working out and makes grunting and farting noises. Oh yeah, he also makes squealing piggy noises and tells me in his best hillbilly voice "jee you gotta purty mouth."

Ironlady-will keep your father in my prayers. I saw my dad today and realized how much he has slowed down. He is 76 and I only see him 3 or 4 times a year. He walks so much slower and I can see how his knees hurt from years of professional soccer.

Todays shoe report-split toe Nike's. Anyone remember these, it was just a few years ago. They came in soooo many different colors. These are a tan and orange color. Halle Berry designed the color combination. I bought em' put em' on and when I woke up the next morning I still didn't look like her!! they are very comfy but the only bummer is that you have to wear em' with the split toe socks. The shoes came with only one pair.

Did I mention I got my nose pierced yesterday as a early b-day gift to me??!! A tiny tiny zirconia. My kids all think I have lost my mind. They all look like circus freaks with their bizzare piercings that are nowhere near as tiny as mine and they gave me grief. I envy mothers in the animal kingdom.... they get to eat their young :)

No workout for today, my knees are a tad bit sore and I am still digesting that cow from 4 hours ago.

Goodnight,
Booboo
 
Hi all,

I found a nice quiet corner at an airport, free wi fi with purchase! So, am checking in before my flight. Before heading out I finished my second time through Meso 1 week 1, so week 2 starts tomorrow ... I'm feeling a bit nervous about that :)

Workouts went okay on this trip. It was one of those get up early for meetings, talk all day, reception all night, then do it again trips. Alas, as moderator for one of the all day sessions, I had to work a little extra to polish the notes ... but it went well, and I did squeeze in CardioCoach and a half hour walk, along with a scheduled rest day.

Shoe report. Hmm, I am pretty sure I am wearing my shoes again ... checking .. yep! it's always worth checking shoes when travelling, since one has to take them off for the airport scan, and remember to retrieve them -and although no one is likely to covet mine, one meets many strange types on travel and it is always possible they would appeal to someone who gets to the other side of the scanner first. Once I nearly ended up with someone else's iphone... But yes, these are the same navy blue pumps I put on I started the day about a hundred years ago :) Rather comfortable, actually, and durable when stuffed in the bottom of a travel bag along with two days of clothing - both nice qualities in a shoe.

Janie, kudos for getting your husband involved! Mine is supportive, in that slightly bewildered but loving way he adopts, when it is clear I have fixed my sights on something unexpected. He has even entered into plans to help remake part of our downstairs into an area where I could fit a squat rack and a barbell. But, he does not want to do STS and I would not dare to ask him to join me in step. He Golfs, which may explain many things.

 
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Good Evening, or is it morning,

It's 12:20am here in the Pacific NW, and just now getting ready for bed.

Shoegal, Did you and your honey workout together tonight?

Laura, wished I could have skied with you.!;) Young uns, they don't know what's good for them. Protein did help with my energy. Tomorrow is legs and right after that Joey and I will have a protein shake.

Michelle, Did you enjoy your rest day?

Booboo, I haven't eaten red meat for almost 18 years. Would be very scary to try it ow. Would be very unsettlin, I'm sure. I love that you pierced your nose. If I was younger I'd do it too. Did ou know that in the spider kingdom, that some female spiders eat their mates. LOL!:D Have a nice rest day.

Shadowpup, So proud of you being able to work in your workouts while traveling. Love the way your hubby supports you in your fitness training. What happen to your meez? She's so cute.

After retiring, Joey and I didn't want to gain a bunch of fat, so we promised one another that exercise would be a big part of our lives. We do this together (except cardio) for almost 18 years. When we travel we do cardio together, but at home I love the steps and choreography of various instructors. Joey either jogs or walks fast for about 30-40 min. on the days we don't weight train. We've just always kept that promise to one another, because we feel that it is important. We were vegetarians for 13 years, but decided to add turkey and chicken to our diet. It was hard trying to come up with a variety of dishes that included protein.

Well, I'm going to read just a little bit and then go to bed. See you all tomorrow.

Janie
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Good morning,
Gonna try and get some cardio in today, maybe I will rent a good movie and watch it while on the treadmill, haven't done that in a while.

Janie-I have wanted to get my nose piereced for almost 10 years now but kept believing I was too old. I was in Vegas in January and met a lady who had turned 60 and gotten her nose pierced as a gift to herself also. I have to say it looked great on her. She really carried herself well. I mean that in the sense that she exercised regularly and ate healthy and it showed. She was fit and something about her radiated joy, I mean like she possessed an inner peace and joy and it showed. I decided that one is never to old to do anything they want as long as they don't hurt someone else and it makes them happy. So for my 43rd b-day i did it. DH who is quite conservative said it looked much better than he thought it would.

Shadowpup-I am again inspired by reading how you maintain your fitness. You don't even let traveling and your job stop you! Truly admirable. No excuse for me!

Ok, whats with the levitating business, I thought only Yogi's in India did that :)Does CAthe do it somewhere on STS with her pull up bar??

Shoegal-the STC shoes, well they were expensive but I ordered them from New York to save on the tax. Shipping is $25 but that still saved me almost $50 on tax. I felt really really guilty when I first got them due to the price. As DH does not make that kind of money for me to go out and spend that kind of money, but it was a one time splurge. Once I put them on, well all that guilt went out the window and I know that twenty years from now they will still look fab. Yes, I plan on wearing them well into my 60's god willing!

Everyone have a fab day.
Booboo
 
Hi everybody. I'm visiting my parents in SW VA and went over to my sister's house (catchick65) this morning to workout. Sister is a teacher so she was at work, so it was just me and her cats. Today was IMAX. I had this scheduled for Wednesday, but that ended up being a break day, so I gave it a whirl today. This is only the second time that I've done IMAX, boy it's another good one. I can't do the routine full out--I frequently have to go to one of the "moderate" options. Might add this to my cardio at least once a week to help kick it up a notch.

BooBoo39: I find that S&H chest and back as well as triceps and biceps really produce great DOMs for a few days. And I believe the levitating reference is regarding a core exercise that Cathe does where you sit on the floor, cross-legs, put you hands on the floor by your sides and "lift" up. But the movement is all in the core going up not in your arms. Cathe uses it in the beginning of the first Core Max routine.

Ironlady: hope today is a better day for your dad. My dad turns 80 this year and my mom is 75. They are both still in great health. I'm visiting them this weekend. Figure I should make the most of their healthy years because at some point things will change.

Janie: break days are always nice but I tend to feel a tad bit guilty that I'm not doing anything. Silly, huh?

Shadowpup: It sounds like you travel a lot. I admire your ability to get the exercise in while you are on the road on business travel. Such tenacity! What do you do that requires so much travel?

We we're thinking of going to the WWII D-day memorial today in Bedford, but it's just too windy and cold. A little history: Bedford VA lost the most men per capita on D-Day and is the site of the national memorial. You'd think I'd have visited it by now, but I usually come this way in the winter and it's too cold. I'll be back visiting my parents in May, I'll have to work it in then.

Hope everyone has a great day.
~michelle
 
Check in Friday

Hey Girls -

Really quick - wanted to updat everyone on whether DH exercised. As expected - no. He was just so very exhausted he said. I did, however, ask him if he wouldn't mind joining me on Medicine ball abs with a partner on STS Ab Circuits. He did and had a huge smile on his face when he did it. He then bowed out of doing anything else and I did Boot Camp alone. I was shocked that I stuck with Boot Camp - because I was doing that only because I thought he would join me. It is such a wonderful workout - and I had a great time doing it. I vary on ability when I do this - is it a good day - or isn't it? So my performance on some of the cardio cycles sometimes is right with them - but other times - not so much.

I'm in the middle of some things that I have to finish so I can't do my usual long long long check in.

BUt I do have time for my shoe report: Anne Klein Brown slingbacks - these keep falling off my feet and that is why I hardly ever wear them - they also have gold hardware on top. I'm not going to say - buckle - more like a clasp detail. Oh well. NO S&TC GORGEOUS shoes for me - YET!!!! One day.

Have a great day everyone.
 
Good Evening Everyone,

Quick check in for today's workout & then gotta get the girls to bed...so I ended up squeezing in the cardio only Kickboxing from 4DS this morning before having to leave for Boulder. I had such a fantastic time with it on tuesday and I can do it in my living room because it doesn't require any equipment at all.

I planned on hiking again with my Pyrenees in Boulder but it was so incredible windy that I just took her to the dog park and did a quick circuit around there with some light jogging. I had my heart rate monitor on & forgot to turn it off.

Then I taught a private with the monitor still on and by the time I noticed it was still on it read a 650 cal burn in 2 hours!:eek:

Missing the weight lifting but trying to fit in what ever I can with the schedule I have....
 
Good Evening,

Booboo, What movie did you watch whole on the treadmill?

Michelle, Love all the IMAX's. I still can't do it all without modifying. When you have a rest day, take it, because your body is repairing it self so when you workout again, your body will be stronger because of that rest. Besides you deserve it.

Shoegal, I was hoping for a different story about your hubby. Glad you enjoyed Boot Camp. I modify all the time.

Laura, The 4DS series are one of my favorites. I think when Joey and I travel the end of this year I'll bring that along with us. Congratulations on the calories burned. That was a lot.:)

I think I'm going to bed early tonight, I'm pooped. See ya all later.

Janie
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Hi all,

Wow, it was sure nice to wake up at home two nights in a row ... All of you give me too much credit, btw; if I don't commit to working out and eating right regardless of where I am or what my circumstance, I'll end back up where I was two years ago: over 50 pounds heavier, out of shape, and exhausted all the time. And cancer survivors, such as myself, have a higher rate of recurrence if they experience significant weight gain. So I'm pretty motivated!!! And it is fun, and more socially acceptable than whacking all of the people at work who would benefit from a 2x4 :eek: Posting here (and also that workout calendar, love it, and my SP check in group) helps me stay on track and honest. And of course compliments help with that motivation thingie, too!

Quick workout update. Yesterday was STS Meso 1 Week 2. My right arm was complaining after having picked up heavy bags from overhead compartments, which often happens, so I decided to go with Disc 6, Legs, rather than attempt either pullups or pushups. That means that today I can feel many new muscles :eek: And, I need to do something about the weights I'm using. STS is pushing me into more and more dumbbell purchases. Last week, it was a new 30 pound pair. Yesterday, that wasn't quite enough for a couple of the exercises, even with my weight vest maxed out at 20, using hand weights and wrist weights. I'm looking at the local Craigs list to see if I can get a used barbell set for less than a pair of 35s... Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be rejecting 80 pounds of barbell as too light.

Today, something cardio, probably kickbox! Cathe KPC? Ilaria Bodystrikes? Probably Ilaria, because that doesn't involve as much punching/arm work.

Now personals ...

BooBoo, you are truly your own person. I'm just picturing you, wearing your fabulous shoes, with a tasteful nose ring, showing up the youngsters! It's terrific! And your kids don't HAVE to know that you're not planning to eat them :)

Shoegal, now that you've got DH involved in one exercise, you've opened up a wedge. Next, two exercises, then three, then the basement becomes your fitness room!

Laura, I also love the kickbox on 4DS. I confess, haven't used most of that set, but I regularly use 4DS kickbox. It doesn't take much room, and it is a happy good energizing exhausting calorie-burning time. And skiing sounds like such fun - amazing that the kids didn't want to go. BTW, you must work very hard during your sessions - I know what it takes to get my body to burn over 600 calories!

Michelle, I'm chief scientist for our research group in a national laboratory, so I'm always travelling to conferences, other laboratories, government agencies, and so on. Not to mention I live offsite and keep a one bedroom apartment near the actual worksite. So I'm always on the road! But, the peace of coming home is worth it, and you can't make a difference in a vacuum, so that means many frequent flyer miles for me.

IronLady, very sorry to hear about your father. It is so hard to watch loved ones struggle with health issues. But you are at least turning some of that into a positive; I bet he is proud of you.

Janie, hope you're up and zipping about today! Your avatar in the bubblebath was wonderful :) I get such a kick out of how you dress them up. BTW, I need to check out the export on that website and make mine smaller ...[edited - got it! smaller avatar below now]


 
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Janie, I am soooo ashamed! I did not workout yesterday, no treadmill work :) That is 2 days in a row.

Last night DH and I went to a move, slum dog millionaire. While I thought that Benjamin Button movie was the best thing I have seen in ten years, this knocked it out of the ballpark. I must go so it again. Loooooove movies that aren't full of expletives or nudity and are still great. I can see why this is favored three to one in winning an award. I have no regrets spending $10.00 for a movie ticket. BTW, two adult tickets, one small popcorn, one box of maltballs and a large drink, $25.00, yeesh! I told DH we cannot do that every friday night.

I am going to workout out today no matter what!! If shadowpup can do it with her busy schedule then there is no excuse for me!!

shoegal-waiting for your report, I wanna know what you wear on weekends. Weather here has warmed up slightly so no ugg boots for me. Well they are not the real uggs, they are from Macy's but I think they are just as nice and get the job done without the price. Maybe some comfy mocs.

Gotta go soak that nose piercing in salt water. Not sure what that is supposed to do but that is what I was instructed to do. I must say I like it more and more each day. Just a tiny little stone. My dad was over and he didn't notice it until we were outside and the sunlight reflected on it. It is somewhat difficult to notice indoors.

Have a great day all,
Booboo
 
Well Hello Ex-Lurkers!
I haven't been on site in a couple of days and it took me a while to catch up on this thread. Looks like everyone has been very busy!

Today i plan on doing a "full yoga practice" and i haven't decided but i'm leaning towards Jari's Ripped and Chiseled.

ShoeGal: You were asking for some info on Jari Love's workouts. Here's my thoughts. I originally purchased her workouts because of all the good reviews i read. I bought all of them except the original one. Initially, i tried a couple but ended up not using them. I decided to give it another try and i've learned to enjoy them the second time around.

Her workouts are different from Cathe. She focuses on low weights/hi reps and there isn't traditional cardio although you do work up a sweat. "RTTC" uses more compound moves, "R1000" adds in intervals of "cardio" like quick stepping or jumping moves. "S&L" and "R&C" tend to stick to working one body part at a time although there are a few mixed moves in there.

I'm enjoying them as my goal is to tone up and lose fat. I find Jari is a bit weird sometimes with the things she says. She's always going on about burning carbs. I had to get used to her and now i like her more. The music "sucks" in my opinion. Some of it is the identical soundtrack from Cathe's basic step & body fusion workouts so if you have those, a lot of the music is the same as that. They are very good total body workouts that will help with muscle endurance. I also highly recommend Cathe's muscle endurance workout as well. It's somewhat similar to Jari's style.

Shadowpup: You prove that if fitness is important, we can all find the time to fit it in. I guess that goes for anything. If it's important to us we will make time for it.

Janie: I think it's great that you and Joey workout together. I think that you can't force someone to workout if they aren't into it. You can just lead by example and let them know they are welcome to join in anytime. My DH went through a phase where he was eating right and working out. Then he slacked off and is currently out of shape. He knows he needs to lose some pounds but he has to decide when he will start.

Ironlady: I was sorry to read about your father's illness. I will send blessings your way.

Hi five's to everyone else for continuing to check-in and sticking with the commitment to lead a healthy lifestyle.

I think i'm going to go make some Dhaal (lentil soup) now *yummy*.

Have a great Saturday!
 
Hey everybody--happy Saturday,
Sister (catchick65) and I did Step Jam from the Classics this morning. Fortunately, she has two steps at her house so I don't have to lug my equipment with me when I visit my parents.

After Step Jam, a shower, and a little ebay, we went out for lunch with my mom, older sister, and her two daughters. Then to my younger niece's basketball game which her team won. It was fun, but some of these youngsters need less eating and more exercise. Whew--I hate seeing overweight kids. It just doesn't get any easier as you get older and don't we all know that.

Shadowpup: you are a true source of inspiration. It's hard enough to exercise regularly, but while on travel. You truly rock.

Elle_p: it's nice to hear from you again.

Ironlady: Stay strong. I'll be keeping you and your family in my prayers.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.
~michelle
 
Hi everyone,
here is my checkin for the week, today I did Low Impact Step, I think I strained something dong the pendulums! Had another super busy week and didn't get my workouts in, but I hope to this week.
Have a great weekend everyone!
 
Happy Saturday X-Lurkers!
So I mentioned in my last post that I have been missing the weight lifting so I decided to do Hard Core Back, Shoulders, & Biceps. I knew it had been awhile since I did that one so I checked my workout Manager Calander and according to that I hadn't done it since November!!! That seems impossible that it had been so long but I am pretty consistent about using that so I guess that it is true. I had been doing PUB and upper body work from 4DS or MM. Still surprised me it had been so long. So I have decided to do the Hardcore Series & Muslce Max rotation as best I can. I don't have all the dvd's on it so I will have to modify. Focusing cardio on my outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, biking instead of cardio dvds.

booboo39 don't be ashamed! Life happens just got a get back on track!:cool:

ElleP: nice to hear from you again, I had been thinking of you and wondering how you were Dhal is my absolute fav. comfort food! I used to live in India

Shadowpup: I am dyeing to know how you lost 50lbs. I want to lose 25 fast! Not realistic but seeing some old friends in April and desperate to slim down!

Cooking Patty: bummer about the strain, is feeling better? Hang in there better weeks ahead!:confused:

Michelle you are so lucky to have a sister to do Cathe with sometimes I think it would be more fun if some else was doing it with me and other times I like the ability to focus...
 
Weight loss and Spark People

Hi all, just a quick check in ...

Did STS Friday; Saturday was Cardio (Ilaria's bodystrikes, so as not to add stress to my shoulder.) Today, STS again, and a nice hike with the dogs earlier today. It's getting easier to hike, with less snow out there. Some greenery from crocuses is beginning to show! I'm torn between redoing the Legs dvd (I'm not sure I pushed as hard as I would have if my right shoulder hadn't been sore), or moving on to Week 1 triceps or biceps. Since I'm doing this as a 6 month rotation I'm repeating Legs anyway ...

Laura, on the weight loss, there was nothing fancy about what I did, and nothing extreme, except of course a fairly radical attitude adjustment on my part towards eating and exercise :). I got fed up with my weight gain and got a stern talking-to from my oncologist, right around Christmas two years ago. Decided enough was enough, and started by walking and eating better, and learning everything I could about fitness, weight loss, healthy eating. While doing that, I discovered SparkPeople and joined up (free program!). SparkPeople gave me a great way to structure and monitor my progress. I kept a weight loss rate of 1-2 pounds a week through improved nutrition, calorie monitoring (nothing radical), and exercise - until hitting my goal weight (and went a bit lower than that). Nowadays I stay within my maintenance range of fiveish pounds... Maintaining takes at least as much focus as losing, maybe more, in my opinion; I consider myself sort of in remission :) There are all kinds of things a person can do that get the scale going down for awhile, but changing to a healthy lifestyle that keeps the weight off and is fun, healthy, and fits a 'normal' lifestyle is really challenging.

BTW, there is a Cathe Forum over on SparkPeople, and you'd all fit right in - join up if you like! Several of people post on both sites, though I may be the only un-lurker. We even have an STS check in :) I post pretty regularly under ShadowPup.


 
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Hi All Fellow Ex-Lurkers!

I finished up last week with ME and SB thinking of KPC later today. May rest, has felt good just lying around and doing laundry. Had Subway for lunch... Yum!

Thanks all for your prayers and kind words of encouragement. I have not really had a good relationship with my father .... mostly I get called when he needs money or is sick. I get calls from the hospital to make a decision about starting dialysis or intubating to keep him alive until I can make the trip to Oklahoma City. (I am an only child, 2 brothers died as infants) He has COPD, diabetes, Morbidly Obese ... I guess the list could go on but, you get the idea. So I go and I try not to be angry with him for abandoning me for the better part of my life. Sorry, for the rant....

DD left yesterday 7 am. She should be testing for the Marine Corps course in the next couple of weeks so will keep you posted on that front!

Have a wonderful day!
 
Hello all,
Ironlady-how lucky your father is to have a forgiving daughter such as yourself. You take care of him in his time of need regardless of his errors. These are the true measures of an individual's character!

Michele-wow, Step Jam is an oldie. Mine is on tape not dvd, does it even come in dvd now?
Ellep-If you have some free time would you mind sharing your Dhaal recipe or let me know where you got it from? I loooove lentils of any kind in any way.

Well yesterday I did the treadmill on an steep incline with a weighted vest at 4.5 lbs. I really enjoyed it and took the vest off at the 25 minute mark and continued for another 25 without it. I really enjoyed having the tingling feeling in the hammies for a a few hours afterwards. However, my neck was quite tight after that. Had to take flexeril to loosen the muscles at bedtime. Wondering if it was due to poor form on the treadmill. will have to pay close attention next time to keep the neck & shoulders relaxed. Today was my 2nd week of D1M1, chest, shoulders & biceps. I followed it with stretch max.

Looking forward to another great week with STS. Lets keep it up ladies.
Booboo
 
Hi everyone,
I just finished my workout which was double cardio from 4DS. 1st time doing it and it was fun. I got the lower intensity step routine down pat and can really have a fun doing it, but I am 2 left feet still on the higher intensity step routine so had to rewind a ton, which was ok because my heart rate was so high!

Shadowpup: thanks for the link, I will check it out. I know my weight loss is hindered by my diet but it just doesn't seem to be going down like it should. I am thinking of going radical and cutting out the carbs and see if I can get that scale moving again!

Ironlady: I am sure you will miss your DD! But you must also be so proud of her too! Good job keeping your focus on your own health through everything.

Booboo: is that the vest you found on sale or a Cathe vest? Do you think that is what hurt your neck? I saw Cathe's vests on a YouTube for a STS leg drill and I thought they looked fairly comfortable for a weighted vest.
 
Laura,
Yes, it is the vest that I purchased on sale from iron wear fitness. I really love the vest, it is washable and is surprisingly comfortable. It did not make me sweaty either, it does allow the skin to breath quite well. The weights are soft and pliable. It is a shorter vest that only goes to the rib cage and there are two wide velcro straps at the base of the vest that allow one to adjust it snugly (if one chooses to) so that it doesn't swing all over the place. Weights are in 1/2 lb increments up, and the vest can go as high as 18 lbs, I only went to 4.5. I believe that it was either poor posture, hunching my shoulders up or sticking my neck & chin out or a combo of the above that gave me this incredible tightness by night time. I plan on using the vest when doing the squat work with the barbell.
Booboo
 
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