Pentagenarians and Beyond W/B 3/27

garance

garance

Cathlete
Hi Deb, Josie, Joan, Cathy, and Valerie--

This morning I did Rockin' Models (70 min.). My legs feel like rubber after this one.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. I did Housemax yesterday, and it was very much needed after I played hooky last weekend. I'm plodding along through paper-grading, although I have been very pleased with the quality of these papers.

Anyone watching the HBO series that begins tonight: Mildred Pierce with Kate Winslet? It has received great reviews. The old Joan Crawford vehicle has been given a facelift truer to the James Cain novel. I also watched an Academy Award nominated film from a few years ago--The Prophet. Meh! It was all right.

Still freezing cold here and it's almost April.
 
Good Morning!

Had a great time at the seminar and learned a lot. I hope I don't forget it all by the time I have a puppy to work with.

I did Cardio Coach, 32 minutes this morning, and it felt good, although my knee is still bothering me. It's not really the knee, but my hamstring that runs behind, connecting to the calf muscle. I need to keep stretching it more. I thought a week off would help it, but it was just the same on the treadmill.

I ended up buying the Supreme 90 workout series at Bed Bath & Beyond. 10 DVD set for $19.99, plus I had a $5 off coupon. Even if there are only a couple that I like it is well worth it. Lots of reviews and comments here on the Open forum. They sound pretty good, and all are under 45-50 minutes.

Garance, thanks for starting the thread for the week. It's still very cold here, and will be only up to 40 on Thursday. Nice spring right? Not watching that series, I don't have HBO or any premium channels.

It was pretty quiet around here yesterday, everyone must be very busy..

Take care,
 
We don't have HBO either so I'll hold out for it on DVD in a couple years. The Prophet sounds familiar.... was that the French prison one? if so, yes, meh.

Did disk 7 yesterday and can NOT say I did all the pushups on my toes. Did MOST of them, but wow. that's a lot .... increased weight in several other areas, so I'm definitely stronger than the last time through and I'm, as usual, not sore at all today. also did the Ab section from High Reps. It's hard... I'm not sure if those are called v-sits? I took off my shoes and that made it a little easier. who would think the weight of shoes would make it harder? I think if I do it often I will get it "all" pretty soon. I'm closer .... I lose my balance and fall off my butt sometimes. hard to hold your legs up that long.

Deb I have a friend who has a new lab puppy ( in addition to an older dog) and it sounds like her life has been turned upside down...... I may visit her tomorrow. it sounds like quite a big addition to her routine! puppies are a LOT of work.
 
Hi Deb, Josie, Joan, and Valerie--

This morning I did KCM's double Bootcamp circuit (55 min.). I have major doms in my hips from Rockin' Models yesterday.

Mildred Pierce is really, really good, so yes, when it comes out on dvd, Valerie, by all means netflix it. Yes, the French prison one is The Prophet. The Corsican mafia and a poor Arab boy who finally gets the upper hand over his Corsican boss. Who cares?

Deb, I have read about those Supreme workouts. They are all pretty short, which is nice. I think I also read that there is a lot of impact, so not for me. Max was already housetrained and crate-trained when we picked him up, and he only chewed one shoe when he was a pup, so I feel like he was no trouble at all. (I did get the heel covering fixed at a cobbler's because it was one of my favorite pumps.) He still likes to jump up on people, unfortunately, but I just put up my knee and tell guests to do that if he shows signs of wanting to jump. I would not mind the cold so much if the wind would settle down. It just takes away all the warmth from the sun.

Still plodding my way through papers, but only 2 at a time, which is nice.
 
I tried to add Mildred Pierce to Netflix but all they have is the original.... never seen it but you know how I am about oldies. I think most HBO series go to netflix if they do reasonably well, maybe it's too soon. Yeah, I totally did not give a whit about what happened to the prison guy. but we did sit thru it, mainly cause I kept thinking it would get better. No.

Going to visit my friend with the new puppy tomorrow. Deb, I will tell you all the gory details of life with a new rambunctious puppy, though this is a black lab and already 30 lbs. what he ate that he shouldn't have etc. they will train him to be a hunting dog. I like dogs a lot but someone else will need to own them these days.

our bike ride didn't materialize, went up to the ride area and it was too windy. strong, steady wind. too unpleasant. so will do something at home.
 
Good morning!
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High Reps, the upper body pre-mix. I could not finish it. whew...that is a tough one. I didn't even attempt the ab/core section. Maybe tomorrow after the treadmill.

Valerie, is your DH doing STS with you this time? I agree with you, I have to take my shoes off for the ab sections, it's like you have ankle weights on or something.
Very hard. Labs can be very rambunctious when young, until about 2 years old or more!

Garance, I agree on the impact for the cardio workouts in Supreme 90, but I will view/try them and if I can modify I will, or not do them. I can always sub the treadmill. I loved that you called the shoe repair person a "cobbler". I haven't heard that in years. We call ours a "shoe maker" although I bet he never actually made a pair of shoes. We have taken many items to him to be fixed over the years due to puppy antics. He just smiles when I bring in a pair of heels with the heel all chewed up. "you gotta love those dogs"...is what he says to me. Of course, he has a big black lab that is in the shop with him every day.

Hi to Josie, Joan & Cathy,

Take care,
 
Deb, yes, DH is doing STS... but he doesn't do the leg disks so he gets ahead. he also started before I did. I think he's still in meso 1 though. easier to keep the exercise room reasonably organized if we're doing the same sets of exercises. he uses more weight but not that much more. he tends to skip exercises he doesn't "like" while I do them but back off on weight thinking maybe I WILL like them eventually.
speaking of legs, I did disk 9 yesterday, after riding the stationary bike for 15, and the treadmill for 15. that was enough. a bike ride is more focused but weather never got much better. riding into a steady wind gets old in a hurry.

Funny... we have a local guy who repairs and rebuilds mostly heavy & expensive hiking and ski boots and we call him a cobbler. He does complicated stuff that few people do anymore. the "shoe repair" people are much simpler places, walk in open stores at shopping malls etc. so I use both. most people don't repair, just toss and replace. I take things that need heavy duty sewing to a shoe repair person... like backpacks that need repair but don't fit on my sewing machine. most of my shoes never wear out. I put on mileage but after years of use they still look brand new. DH however, blasts his shoes to bits in a year or less. something about foot shape.
 
Hi Deb, Josie, Joan, Cathy, and Valerie--

This morning I did Dancetonic, back to back 30 min. routines (60 min.).

Your smilies are hilarious, Deb. I'm very good at V-sits. They are on a lot of my barre workouts, so I've been doing them a lot lately and getting better. This old guy we go to is definitely a cobbler. His place is filled with shoes and he does gloves, handbags, zippers and a lot of other repairs as well. Did you watch DWTS last night? I am sometimes really puzzled by the judges' commentary. Guess I don't know enough about footwork.

Valerie, I am pretty sure that Mildred Pierce has several more Sunday night episodes. Nope, you wouldn't like the Joan Crawford-Ann Blythe 1940s version, although Crawford did win an Oscar for the role. Hope the black lab is not a disappointment as a hunting dog. One of my sisters had a Springer who they wanted for pheasant hunting, but he was gun shy. I'm like you--I never wear out my shoes. But that doesn't stop me from collecting more!

hi to Josie, Joan, and Cathy!
 
Lynda, tell me the secret to v-sits. I have so much trouble balancing, I fall forward and backward even when I feel like I'm not out of strength to move my legs back and forth. I'm assuming I keep on doing them and they will get less unstable.

Tough yoga class this morning. she does those levitation holds easily, like nothing! but she gets into lotus position first and says that's what makes them easy. humph. no wonder I have trouble. my hips are (so far) not designed to open up flat like that although I've been trying for years. I've progressed from barely sitting cross legged to sitting that way reasonably well, but the hip mobility so far has eluded me.

friends went thru all kinds of hoops to get this lab, he's from texas, and was flown up here by the breeder. they are very dog oriented and their other dogs were very well trained so much comes from example of their older dog, and also getting the little guy started early. and he's very cute. going to be big but already he's responding well to commands, and comes and sits on command. think he's 14 weeks old. a real sweetie. puppies are so darn adorable! their adult dog is really nice too.

Deb the HR one was tough, you need to back off on weight. I'd call it an endurance workout, too much weight isn't going to work. light weight goes along with high reps. my first run was rocky but I wrote down what I used (with an up or down arrow for weight selection)and the second time was much better. won't do it for a while now that I'm back on STS, except for the ab part that has me coming back a couple times a week. it's fast and hard for me, and I was getting sick of doing Coremax.

DH makes fun of the number of shoes I have, but some are 20+ yrs old and I still wear them. they fit fine and aren't cutting edge style, but good enough for casual wear. I think if the HBO series does pretty well that netflix will get it. probably just too soon.
 
Good Morning!

Today I did Cardio Coach vol 2 revised.

Garance, V-Sits are not easy for me either. I can't do the part where you pull your legs in and out for more than 20 seconds, my hip flexors kill me. I know it is a matter of working up to them, but it is tough. I guess our guy would be a cobbler too. He has so many old pairs of shoes in there, that apparently no one picked up since the 1930's. Funny that they are all the same. When Clancy chewed the heels of one of my pair of pumps, he just cut off the bottom, made both match and put new rubber pieces on. So instead of 3 inch heels, they were 2. At least he saved them for me.

Valerie, that puppy sounds like he is on his way to being a very nice pet. It helps if you have an older dog that shows the way. One reason why I like to have 2 dogs. Also, Keegan is getting very spoiled now, too much attention from both of us. LOL Are you able to do those bicep curls with the bands in HR? I cannot figure out how she loops those bands around her hands, and then by the time I get it, she is well into the reps. Hard to pause the DVD player while holding DB's, the band etc. I skip them and just do heavy ones.

Joan, how is it going? how is your Mom doing?

Josie, are you over that cold now? any bike rides lined up?

Cathy, not sure if you check in any more, getting the new land ready? still playing with the g-kids?

Still cold here, only in the low 40's today if we are lucky.

Take care,
 
Are those the bicep curls where your foot is on the band, & the band looped over the bar? I like those. a couple variations in different workouts. generally I like band work cause you get so much more work out of light weights, both up and down. I drape the band ends over the bar and grab over the band itself. you don't want to let the band pop off when it gets tension from your foot. snapping back in your face could be nasty! I'm used to pausing often.. my bar takes longer to switch weights than cathe allows. I need 15-30 seconds more. I keep my remote next to the TV so I can pause quickly.

I remember getting new heels and soles all the time as a kid. now ( like so many things) it costs more to fix stuff than new costs. Progress, I guess. shoe bottoms are so much tougher now that by the time I've worn the bottoms down, the top of the boot/shoe is pretty well gone too so maybe it's not such a bad thing. I use shoe places to sew heavy items that a home machine can't handle.

Took a day off working out yesterday, just all over tired and a little sore. working out sounds better today. It is also my birthday. OMG 63. who ever thought I'd get this old and still be worrying about v-sits! I keep plugging away at them, and get the hip flexor issue you mention Deb... shoes off helps. when I can do them all that way, I'll add shoes back in. I still lose my balance and can tip in any and all directions, even when I'm not that tired.
 
Hi Deb, Josie, Joan, Cathy, and Valerie--

This morning I did Skinny Sculpt (45 min.).

When I started doing V-sits, I would just hang on to my knees under my hamstrings. Then I started extending my legs, but I was still hanging on to my hamstrings. Now I start off that way, then lift one arm up, then the next and hold. That was the modification-progression on Rockin' Models. No shoes on any of the barre workouts, so maybe that's why I have been able to learn how to do them. No way I can do levitation holds. My rump prefers solid ground under it, I guess.

Happy birthday, Valerie! Hope you have a good one. My collection of shoes dates back to post-partum. Prior to babies, I wore a 5 1/2, but now I wear a size 7. Babies will do that to you. When my feet were that small, I could frequently buy the pair on display at a discount, because they were usually 5 1/2.

Deb, I think you are far enough north that you won't be affected, but we are girding our loins (so to speak!) for 6-12 inches of sloppy wet snow on April Fool's Day. Hope, pray, they are wrong. I. just. am. so. tired. of. winter.

How's your mom, Joan?

I suppose you are basking in warmth and sunshine in lalaland, Josie.
 
Hi Ladies,

I finally feel 100%. This is the last week of the program and I have passed all of the assessments, so I can join the continuation program. I will cost us $35.00 per quarter and will consist of 3 workouts with a trainer and 2 workouts will be e-mailed to us to do on Tuesday and Thursday or over the weekend. The continuation starts next Monday, so there is no down time. I'm glad because I would probably get lazy.

I signed up for a 100 mile ride this weekend, but I'm a bit worried because I have not put in my miles. What do you think Valerie? Should I attempt it? I know that my legs are strong from the workout, but I'm still worried. Happy birthday!

Garance, I also take good care of my shoes and I have a great cobbler that leaves them looking brand new. There have been a couple of times when he has told me that I need to throw my favorites away because he could no longer fix them. I do wear out my shoes.
It is 87 degrees here at UCLA and at least 10 degrees less by my house. I'm glad that we are not working out outside. Today we were weighed and I lost a total of 5 lbs.

Joan, how are you doing and how is your mom?

Hi Cathy wherever you are!

Josie
 
Josie, I've never ridden 100 miles in one shot so I'm not exactly qualified to advise. I've done 50-60 but that was before padded shorts! Is there backup to drive you the rest of the way if it's too much? we used to call them sag wagons, don't know what current terminology is. someone to sweep and pick up people who aren't going to finish for whatever reason.... mechanical problems, illness, inclement weather or whatever. If there's a sweep I'd be tempted to give it a try. My legs would be fine but sit bones and wrists would not be happy with that long a day. Or is it a loop trip that could be shortened if necessary? Congrats on the 5 lb loss! that sounds like a terrific program you're using.

Lynda, that's a good thought... holding the hamstring area. I'll see if that helps me stay upright. I do better each time I do them but could use a little assist.
I did disk 8 today, but seems unlikely I can do 10,11,& 12 before saturday. I can probably do one or two if I push but not 3.

we are leaving saturday am for a long week off. some fun but mostly visiting MIL & FIL. FIL probably won't be around much longer. he has multiple illnesses and is barely hanging on. Joan, hope your MIL is doing better. we will be in sunny and warm central California. it's cold and very wet here again, so it sounds great even tho I don't like warm weather. this is way colder and wetter than normal for us too, although at least we won't get more snow, at least not down where everyone lives. my challenge will be not to overeat and under exercise. sitting and driving doesn't burn many calories.

My feet seem to have spread a little too. I was always a 7 and now 7.5 seems the norm. most of my old shoes fit fine but new ones I need to size up often.
 
Valerie,

They do have sweeps to pick up people that can not continue. I will give it a try. The weather forecast is in the 60's for Saturday. I'm glad! Have a great trip and enjoy your vacation. Don't worry so much about your diet. You only live once!

Josie
 
Just a quick check in. My mother's "good" leg was the one that hurt too bad to walk. The hospital thought it just might be a knee spain and they were probably right. Resting it has helped. The last two days she has stayed in her room because getting into her wheel chair hurt too much. Her "bad" leg (the one with the drop foot) would hurt when I lifted it to put in the foot rest. She thinks she put too much pressure on it when trying to not use the other leg. The pain is upper thigh or hip.

We got the hospital bed yesterday but she wouldn't try it because she was afraid to let me lift her legs so she could get into bed. Fortunately, I talked her into trying this afternoon. By lifting both legs at once I got her into bed and it didn't hurt. Yea. Now if we can get the other leg semi healed we can just work on the swelling.

If she gets up in the night she has to go back to sleeping in the chair because she can't get back in bed.

My ankles are hurting. I have been running up and down the stairs dozens of times a day.

Happy Birthday Valerie.

Joan
 
Good morning all,

I just finished the first workout of Supreme 90. Youza! The pause button is your friend for this one. He definitely is trying to out do Cathe's Pyramid workouts with the speed. I read that this is the only one that goes at the frantic pace. I liked it though, had to modify a bit when they used the ball, but knew how to so it was ok. With warm up and cool down it was 35 minutes, but that was with my pauses included. The good thing his he includes core stuff in every workout. Tomorrow's is supposed to be all with a stability ball, labeled as a cardio, but I read that it is more of a core workout.

Valerie, Happy Birthday!! Did you get that bright yellow vest/jacket? the curls are the ones with the band I have a hard time with, are with dumbells, light ones, where you hold them after you twist the band somehow through your fingers, then hold the dumbell. I like the ones where you use a barbell better.

Josie, I think you will do great on the ride and will not have to be "swept up"!

Garance, thanks for the tip on the V-sits, I am going to try that for sure, duh...why didn't I think of that? I think your feet grow when you turn 50. I was a 7.5 for decades, then when I turned 50 I had to get 8's. oh..and it is snowing here, lightly, but snowing...ugh.

Joan, hope your mom's leg starts to heal...and you can count those trips up and down the stairs as a cardio workout.

Take care,
 
Wow a good birthday. as good as 63 can be anyway. Yes, I did get the screaming yellow bike jacket. No surprise ... DH and I went shopping together a couple weeks ago. I bought him the same jacket for his B-day in Nov so had decided this was the best choice. It's Pearl izumi with zip off sleeves. the stunner was I needed XL! I'm not THAT big. people tend to not want material flapping in the wind so IMO cycling clothes run small. my cycling shirts are L's but the PI brand runs especially small. also a handle bar bell for when we ride with lots of walkers and runners around.

Had a small low fat brownie and two small spoons of vanilla ice cream... with a candle. It was good!

Yay Josie! You'll probably have no problem other than "tired" but I'd feel better knowing there was assistance if it didn't go as well as I hoped.

Deb, I don't remember that exercise in particular but don't remember having a problem with it. I generally like band work cause you get so much more work out of small weights.
I like having core included so I don't need to change disks. sometimes that's enough to lose momentum and skip it. Lynda, I will try the hamstring hold method today.

DH's family ... not great in the kitchen. no one can cook! it's easy to get loads of junk food... beer, chips, just junk that can add up fast. so I'm bringing carrots, apples, etc so I can avoid most of it. and we will have some chances to exercise since with the camper it's not like I'm limited to a carry-on.

Joan, my FIL has huge mobility issues. I'll see what they doto get him in and out of bed. he has bad contractures in feet and legs so I don't know how he manages.
 
Hi Deb, Josie, Joan, and Valerie--

This morning I did Ellen Barrett's Fatburning Fusion (46 min.). I would buy anything new by her. No dread factor, and the workouts just plain make me feel good. Hope she does a few more.

Wow, Josie, 100 miles?? Reminds me of that fellow (Dean Karnazas--not sure of sp) who is running across America--totally awesome and daunting. Good luck with that!

Valerie, I don't believe in sizes anymore. I will wear a 6 in Luckybrand jeans, and a size 10 in a pair of J. Crew chinos. I'm all over the place except with Vogue patterns, which make me feel big because they never changed their sizing. A screaming yellow jacket sounds like fun--like an angry yellowjacket as a matter of fact. Have a fun trip/vacation. My break is about to end--classes resume next week.

Joan, I guess you can count all of that stairclimbing as cardio. My knees would be complaining from that. Hope your mom gets better soon.

Deb, I'm just hoping for my KCMs pretty soon, because I am being tempted by a new set of Zumbas. The problem with them is that I just want the dance parties, and the last thing I need is another pair of 1 lb. shakers. Max loves them, but who needs 2 more?
 
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