Some R&R

Thursday, 2/26 - Spin class - 1 hour & Swimming - 45 minutes
Well, sort of. I went to spin class during lunch on Thursday and loved it. Again, the drill sargeant, I mean instructor kicked my arse...I was dripping with sweat in the 1st 10 minutes! I met Katie at the pool on Thursday night and we swam more and rested less than we ever have. It felt great!

Friday, 2/27 - rest
I had Friday off from work, and normally that would mean relaxing on the couch after the kids with a glass of vino and a snack (a healthy one of course)....but I had back to back dr's appointments the next day and one of them required that I fast the night before. Soooo...instead, I kept myself busy by organizing my closet and had some water. Such an exciting life I lead, lol.

After my dr's appointments, I headed to the mall to look for a couple of new pairs of cute sandals for the Spring and to have some lunch. I was planning to go to a movie before my 4 pm hair appointment, but decided to head home and take care of some stuff around the house that I have been meaning to do forever - putting the baby's bouncy seat and swing in the attic, hanging pictures that have been in boxes for almost a year, etc. While it wasn't the relaxing afternoon I had planned, it felt great to get it done.

Catching Up....

Wednesday, 2/25 - Run, 3 miles, 10:47 pace
I wasn't feeling like going for a run, especially on the dreadmill. But, as usual, once I got going it was all good! I worked on progressively increasing my pace throughout the run and decided to skip the walk breaks. It felt great!

Tuesday, 2/24 - Swim, 45 minutes (lost count of laps!)
I couldn't make it to spin class during lunch due to a dr's appointment, but there's still swimming after work. I had to share a lane with 3 other people...people who can actually swim. (Yeah, the Y is going a bit overboard on the freaking swim classes these days!!!) You know what that means? No resting at the wall!!! Okay, so I did rest a little at the wall, but less that I have before. At first I was worried about getting in someone's way, which caused spazz-girl to come out. Once I concentrated on relaxing and doing what I was supposed to be doing, I was much better. Some laps were better than others though...seriously, I am beginning to wonder if I'll ever be able to swim continuously!!!!

Monday, 2/23 - rest
I should have done an upper body or core workout, but after staying up late to watch the Oscars the night before (GO SLUMDOG AND KATE WINSLET!), I decided turning in early would be a better idea.

Sunday, 2/22 - Bike, 11 miles, 14.1 pace
I decided to ride around our neighborhood, since we have a few streets where the land has been cleared, but there are no homes going up...imagine that. :o) When I 1st started out, I was on the slightly busier streets and had quite a few stops and turns...my pace was only 9.12! I knew I needed to speed it up once I got into the less populated area. For the 1st time back on the bike in over 2 weeks, I think the ride went well! Once I got off my bike and put it in the garage, I attempted to run to the end of the block and back...wow! Wow! WOW! I thought my legs were going to give out on me at first. This is going to be very interesting.

Saturday, 2/21 - Run, 7-ish miles
Katie to the rescue again! Katie agreed to meet me for a hilly 9-miler in the afternoon. It was warm and sunny...actually, it was only 63 but when you haven't run in anything warmer than the mid-50s in awhile, 63 and sunny feels, well, HOT! Jeeze, how am I going to make it when I have to do my runs in the afternoon and it's 90? I had a little snafu with the Garmin, so I'm not sure of the exact time, pace or distance. Doh!

Friday, 2/20 - rest
Thursday was quite a workout day between spin and swim. It also happened to be our company's BBQ cook off and my Dad's birthday, so between the two I knew I would not be working out!

Thursday, 2/19 - PM - Swim, 50 minutes
Thank goodness Katie met me at the pool! It's so much more fun when there's someone else there. The pool is getting more and more crowded, as more and more swim classes are being scheduled. I started off a little shaky with the whole spaz thing going on, but by the end of the night I felt like I was getting back into the groove

Going.to.die.

OMG

Today, I made it to spin class during lunch. Within the 1st 10 minutes I thought to myself, "I am going to die. Right here. On this bike." Yeah, and then the instructor said, "Tension at 1 1/2. Okay now take the tension another 2." To make matters worse, he's an ex-military guy, so we had to repeat everything he said as loud as possible.

Rat bastard.

It sucked the big one, but I survived it.

And I will be back for more.

I am such a masochist.

And tonight...there's more swimming.

Run Baby Run

The kiddos actually went to sleep at a decent hour and I took advantage of the free time by jumping on the treadmill.

I felt really heavy at first, but once I got going I felt great! The goal was 30 minutes with a nice, consistent pace. The end result - 2.72 miles, 11:01 pace. Not so speedy, but considering the lack of running over the past couple of weeks, I'm pretty pleased.

Foiled again...

Drats, for the 2nd week in a row, I was going to attempt to make it to spin class on my lunch break. And once again, I remembered that I had a lunch meeting! Grrrrr...

Back in the swim of things

For the 1st time in over a week, I finally made it back to the pool! Hooray! I was a little concerned, because I am still hacking up a lung...but, it was all good. Well, except for the sensation that I had forgotten 1/2 of the stuff I'd been working on for the past few weeks!

I don't know what was up, but the pool was uber-crowded. Once again, lane after lane of 6 year olds were swimming like they were born in the pool. Okay, maybe they were tweens and not 6 year olds, but they were good.

Seriously, I don't know if it was the killer upper body workout I did the day before (not real smart!), the fact that I was recovering from this cold/allergy/sinus stuff, or that I hadn't been in the pool for awhile, but I couldn't seem to get things going. My stroke felt awkward and my breathing wasn't quite right. But, thankfully Kelly was there and watching her helped me remember what I was supposed to be doing....she makes it look soooo easy!

I did manage to get in lots of laps...how many, I'm not sure because I lost count. Lots and lots of laps, lol.

Feel the Burn

Ah yes, it's been awhile and I've missed it so.


THE BURN

For the 1st time in about a month, I did P90X. There's not much time for it when you're trying to train in 3 different sports, but I have missed it. And, I knew I'd be getting in a spin class at least once this week, so I decided my upper body needed a good workout. I used my favorite of the dvds - Shoulders and Arms. It's great because it does a shoulder exercise, triceps and then biceps - you repeat the set and then you do a different set of shoulders, tris and bis, repeat, etc.

LOVE IT!

Cough, Run, Cough, Bike, Cough

Between the back and funerals one week, and the lovely head cold the next, the workouts have been few and far between lately. I hate it, because I feel like I've missed two very vital weeks of training for both the Zooma 1/2 and the tri. To top it off, I still have a lingering nasty cough and my runny nose returned last night. Grrrr....

Thursday, February 12 - Brick - bike/run - 40 minutes
I was feeling great on Thursday, so I decided to head to the Y for a spin class during lunch. That plan was foiled when a 10 am meeting ran long and I missed the spin class. Sooooo...I headed over to the Y after my meeting and did 20 minutes on the stationary bike, followed by 20 minutes on the treadmill. Not much of a workout, but a good "ease back into it" workout I suppose - and my 1st brick. The only problem was the coughing. People looked at me funny and one guy asked if I was okay, lol.

Friday, February 13 - Swimming - almost
I was in a training class in The Woodlands all day and looked forward to heading over to the Y for a swim the entire time. Since swimming is my weakest sport, I didn't want to go an entire week without at least one swim! When I arrived at the Y, I saw a work truck parked near the pool and the pool doors open. Hmmmm....that's strange. Then, as I walked by, I noticed that no one was in the pool. Hmmmm...not looking good. When I entered the Y, I could see the pool through the windows. Even the lifeguards were not there. Dang! Next, I noticed a nice little sign on the counter - "The pool will be closed for repairs on Friday, February 13..."! UGH! I hadn't brought any other workout clothes, so home I went.

Saturday, February 14 - Long Run - almost
The goal was to head out for my run as soon as the hubby made it home from work. However, one of our friends stopped by before I made it out the door and by the time he left it was pouring down rain (complete with thunder and lightening). I still had to make it to the grocery store for stuff for our Valentine's Day dinner and finish the truffles I was making, so again no workout.

Sunday, February 15 - "Long" run - finally!
After church, I decided to take the car to NTB for some work. Turns out that I needed an alignment, a couple of new tires and new brakes....my car was there until 5 pm! In the meantime, I was hanging out with the kiddos at my parent's house since they live nearby. The hubby picked us up on the way home from work, so I could do my run. Unfortunately, my run was cut short due to all this. My 8-miler with hills ended up just being a 6-miler in the 'hood because that was all I had time for. Oh well, I'll just call it a cut-back week and hit the hills again next week! It was probably for the best, since I felt like I was coughing up a lung the entire time!

Omigod!

I went to see Legally Blonde: The Musical last night and had a blast. The musical is cute and funny with lots of fun, upbeat songs. I only wish I would have lucked out and seen Laura Bell Bundy in the lead role....Laura originated the role on Broadway and is filling in for the touring cast lead who broke her toe. But instead, I saw Lauren somebody, who won the MTV reality show Legally Blonde: The Search for the New Elle Woods. She was good - she has the acting and dizty Elle down, but her singing voice was not quite Broadway caliber. The rest of the cast was amazing, especially the gal who played Brooke Wyndam! She had to do an entire song while jumping rope - it was very impressive. Overall, I really enjoyed the show. I'd love to see it on Broadway when I make it back to NYC, but unfornately it closed this year due to lack of ticket sales. It seems like even Broadway has been affected by the recession. Sigh.

(Oh and by the way, the 1st song in the musical is "Omigod You Guys" in case you're wondering about the title of the post, hahaha.)

Nothing New

Nothing new to report here. Yesterday, I finally felt like I was recovering from that nasty cold. But, there was no time for working out, because I had to make a roadtrip to A&M for a presentation. We arrived home at 11 pm and I was beat!

Tonight, I'll be heading to the Hobby Center to see Legally Blonde, so again no workouts!

After the back issues last week (which are much, much better) and the cold this week, I am so sick of this not working out business! It makes me one grumpy gal (just ask my hubby!). Tomorrow, I'm planning to hit the spin class at the local Y during lunch. Friday, I'll be heading to the pool...wooohooo!

It's been a busy few days...between work (including a recruiting trip to A&M), 2 funerals, 2 kids, a sick kid, and a sick me (the back issues and now a friggin' cold!), etc. blogging has taken a bit of a backseat. And to be honest, there weren't a heck of a lot of workouts to blog about. I am planning to take today off and get to bed early again in an effort to fight off whatever it is I have. Tomorrow, I'm off to A&M again and won't be home until late, late, late. By Wednesday, I am hoping to get on the treadmill for a test run to see how I do. The back was feeling better until I lifted the kiddo, but it's still better than it was.

Sunday, 2/6 - Rest
The cold started coming on late Saturday...I noticed the scratchy throat on Thursday and the sneezing and headaches on Friday, but I refused to acknowledge they were there. I just kept telling myself, "I am not getting sick! I am not getting sick!" It didn't work, because by Sunday I felt like total and complete crap! After church on Sunday, the kids and I just hung out around the house doing as little as possible. I did manage to take my bike in to be re-fitted...turns out my seat needed to be moved forward. Jeeze, all that back pain caused by something so simple!

Saturday, 2/5 - Running, 8 miles w/hills
In an effort to prepare for the upcoming hilly Zooma Austin 1/2, I met up with the girls for a run on Flintridge. For those who aren't familiar with The Woodlands, Flintridge is the hilliest street in these parts. On our Saturday Woodlands Fit runs, you'd hear lots of groans from the group if the route card showed Flintridge as part of the run. It's that bad. So, we started at a nearby park, so we'd at least have a little warm-up first. Then we hit Flintridge. To make things even more challenging, we turned into one of the neighborhoods so we could run on even more hilly streets. Overall, it wasn't too bad and to my surprise, I didn't feel any of the usual fatigue later in the day (although I felt it in my hammies the next morning). I think if we keep using this route between now and Zooma, we'll be ready for the hills! And, it was fantastic to finally get to run with the girls again...I miss all the fun conversation and the trips to Starbucks afterwards!

Friday, 2/4 - Swimming, 45 minutes
With the back still feeling a little iffy, I thought a swim might be the only form of exercise that wouldn't aggravate it. For the most part, I was right. When I was relaxing and doing what I was supposed to, the back felt great. When I was getting tense and spazzing out, the back hurt like heck. I have no idea how many laps I swam, but I think I am getting better...I paid careful attention to the amount of rest I was taking between lengths.

Updates...

It's been a rough week in our household this week, so the workouts might be a little scarce.


First, the kiddo has been under the weather with a cold. Fortunately, she's better today and was able to head back to school.

Second, the hubby's cousin passed away on Sunday. Her funeral is today and the viewing/rosary was last night. DH's cousin passed away on Sunday. She was 55 and had cancer. By the time it was found, it had spread into several of her organs. She was diagnosed the day she was graduating from school as a pharmacy tech...her lifelong dream. The funeral is later today and the viewing/rosary was last night. There were a ton of people there last night and it was standing room only in the chapel! She was a happy, fun-loving woman and was loved by pretty much anyone she met...it's no wonder so many showed up to pay their respects.

This morning I received a call from my Mom and found out that my Aunt Mary had died. She was my Dad's oldest sister (she was in her 70's). She had Alzheimers, but was still the sweetest lady you've ever met. She lived with her daughter who said that she heard a noise in her Mom's room last night. When she went to check on her, she was on the floor and already gone.If you don't mind, please keep both my family and the hubby's family in your prayers.

And then there's the back issue...much better today, but I still can't bend over to get the muchkin in and out of his crib. I will probably take today off from working out. Then, I head off to A&M for college recruiting, so no workout on Thursday either, blah! Hopefully on Friday, I can at least get in a swim...something nice and low impact for the back!

I am just ready for this week to be over!!!!

Oh my aching back!!!!!!!!!

I’ve been a bad blogger lately…one of my goals this year was to get more sleep (anything more than the 5 or so hours I usually get). So, for the past 3 or 4 days, I’ve done just that! Of course, that cuts into my computer time, lol!

Here’s what I’ve been up to:

Back Issues!

Workout Stats: Monday, 2/2 - Bike (on trainer indoors), 5 minutes

Yeah, you read that right. I got in approximately 5 minutes on the bike when the kiddo yelled out “MOOOMMMMEEEEEE”. I went upstairs to check on her, came back downstairs, got back on the bike and realized that my lower back was really hurting. I started to pedal, but realized that the pain was not going away. I got off the bike, did a few things to get ready for bed and then laid down. About 30 minutes later, I got up to go to the bathroom and I couldn’t walk back to the bed.

Seriously.

The hubby had to come to my rescue and help me, because it hurt to move my legs! I applied a heating pad and took a strong Ibuprofen (leftover from after having the baby), but it still hurts today….not as excruciating, but not comfortable either.

What the funk?

Since I was feeling a bit better this morning, I actually packed my bag to go to the gym today during lunch…we have a funeral to attend this evening, so no pool time for me. However, given the back situation, I’m thinking resting might be a better idea instead.

Workout Stats: Sunday, 2/1 – Rest Day (went to friend's to "watch" superbowl)