Spastic Muscles

I'm not old! But I feel it! Nerves twittering, muscles stiffened and sore... Somehow I've managed to 'injure' myself enough to make working out a painful chore. I think started the process Easter weekend, when I didn't stretch before or after two baseball games I played, and then I think I made it worse while doing Cardio X, in place of Plyometrics (for variety). Argh... I'm not that out of shape... Am I?

Last night mi esposo y yo were doing Chest and Back. We'd completed round 1 and were in the second set of round 2 when my legs began complaining, well, it was more like quitting. I was in the middle of pull-ups with resistance bands, hunkered on one knee and leaning forward.With each completed rep, my legs felt more and more tingly, in a bad, I don't think this is good, kinda way, and memories of physical therapy flooded my memory. Suddenly I couldn't take it anymore. I know, when you think 'pull-ups' you don't think legs... But somehow they all connect together to work and function. When I told my husband, he said with a determined stare, "That's it, you're done. Go hit the showers."

Devastated, "What about Ab Ripper?"

"You're done."

All right, so I was done. Knowing he was right, I accepted his command and went outside to play with Harley, my Rhodesian Ridgeback, and do some show training, feeling a little reprimanded and reminded of my humanness.

So for tonight's workout, I opted for good old-fashioned running, as it seems that movements to the side or off-center seem to cause the pain to worsen. I think I'll throw my heat pad on my legs again tonight and wake up and to complete x-stretch in the morning. But we'll see how it goes. Each day is not as I expect it to be!

Day 3 (and 4?) on My Birthday

April 9, 2010. Today I am 25 years old, a whole quarter of a century my girlfriend lovingly reminded me.

Already today is a strange day. When my alarm sang at 6 a.m. I leapt from bed to turn it off, crawled back under the covers and laid there, wide-eyed. I'm not tired! Unsure the last time I woke refreshed, I decided to make the most of it and complete day 3 of P90X: Shoulders, Arms and Abs. I did the workouts and pushed myself, sometimes using 20 pounds on biceps, and skipping two exercises to speed things along. Where did all this energy come from? The past few years I'd begun to dread my birthday, due in large part to being forgotten, but this year I talked about it with my husband and told him what I wanted, so over Easter weekend, he went and bought his favorite cake for me from Safeway and sang happy birthday to me with our family.

40! I screamed out the last rep as I completed it. I'd worked to exhaustion. Grinning, I gingerly picked myself up, feeling stronger and happy to feel so accomplished at 7:15 a.m. Maybe I'll do Yoga X later tonight? Or maybe I won't. Though I LOVE working out with my husband in the evenings, I've found that if I don't wake up and workout first thing, I am more likely not to complete it. So we'll see how it goes, but right now, having finished one workout and being a birthday girl are two pretty amazingly fun things, and I get both today.

As For the Carbs...

When I began this workout, I also started following the P90X nutrition guide. Like the exercises, the menu is designed in three stages, the first being called "The Fat Shredder." During this phase of nutrition, you nearly eliminate all carbohydrates, shovel in protein and reduce fat.

After getting used to buying liquid egg whites and eating more than I would on a typical day before P90X, I realized something startling, I don't miss the carbs. Now I think twice before grabbing an English muffin, making whole wheat toast or even eating oranges. Even without eating those foods, it is easy to exceed my daily carbohydrate level, and too much of anything is not good.

So what do I do? I usually start the day off great with breakfast, followed by an approved snack, healthy lunch and afternoon snack. Where I tend to fall apart is dinner, because by this time I've made four meals, (two breakfasts and lunches, and four snacks, some for my daycare kids and some for me) and by the time I reach dinner, I am either not hungry or tired of cooking. But I've still seen results: my jeans are looser, my stomach flatter and my energy level is higher. So while I don't follow the plan perfectly, it has still worked pretty good for me and I’d recommend it for people serious about taking their fitness to the next level.

Super Chillaxer

Today I feel less like Superwoman and more like Superchillaxer. Its been pretty laid back round here since I sent two of my kids home sick last week and they’ve yet to return. Apparently their mama thinks the sniffly nose and cough they started coming to me with is enough to keep them at. I think I get frustrated at that because I feel like the children staying home is a result unhealthy temper tantrums more than an illness, but I also enjoy a quieter space, so really it’s a winning situation for me.

To really chillax, I threw a movie on for the girls to watch while falling asleep and have spent their naptime chatting with my husband on IM and blogging, I’m making attempts to regain my creativity, while checking on them every few minutes. There are still dishes to wash, floors to clean and toilets to scrub, but for some reason those are low priority. Each new thought floods my mind in awe with the awesome weather outside, luminous storm clouds one minute, blinding sun the next, accompanied by an eager south easterly breeze. I want to go outside and play with my dog but I’m afraid I’d wake the girls thereby ending my lovely quiet time.

I’ve been thinking about different types of pre-school curriculum and how I can incorporate it into my daycare schedule. Having two infants really makes it difficult to implement a curriculum, though not impossible. I am so excited to help the kids learn and grow, it’ll be a hoot. I really should just make a plan and stick to it… We’ll see how it goes

Repeater Week 2: Day 1, Chest and Back

Remembering my early college days with my hubby, I visualized the fantastic body I owned. Each day I ran a mile and completed a pilates workout. I also regularly swam laps for my swim class, all of which led to my having amazing legs and a miraculously flat stomach, despite my habitual dinner of a ginormous chocolate chip cookie when cafeteria food lacked taste appeal, which was daily.

Last week’s workout schedule fell through the cracks, so I decided to repeat it. I’d planned to begin workout one on Sunday, but since I’d played softball once Saturday and once Sunday, I was pretty pooped. I played outfield and was ‘ever ready’ to catch the ball in my horse-stance squat. It was good for me, and thanks to week 1, I didn’t even notice I was getting a workout, until later.

Eager to return to an amazing body, my first day back to the P90X routine was Monday, though it was so late that my husband did it with me. Between butt slaps and teasing, we pushed each other to do more reps and work harder than either of us had worked out previously. When we were finished, I felt fantastic, and I’d the added bonus of a good time with my husband. If I ever enjoyed P90X before, having a partner I enjoy made it a million times better!

Day 1, Week 2: Chest and Back and Ab Ripper X

Blobs of jello dangle from my upper body. My workout was good and I pushed to the breaking point. At times my body would involuntarily collapse and I'd gingerly get up and shout, “I can do 1 more!” And I would, as if the verbal go ahead could by itself spiral wobbly limbs into action. I guess that’s the power of your mindset.

Of course, it likely helped that going into the workout I was so dang frustrated that I didn’t want to take crap from anything, not even myself, so I didn’t. And Ab Ripper was amazing (simulate sing-song voice in your head.) It hurt, I hurt, but I came out of it feeling stronger and sexier than I went in, and that’s what this is all about, when added with the amazing sense of accomplishment when you're through.

Fat Fueled Psycho

Sirens wailed in my head as I looked at the enormous figures sprawled across the page. I can't believe I've let myself go this far. I guess the ghastly bumps rising from my thighs and my ever expanding belly should have been a clue, but with unconditional love from my husband and best girlfriend, I’d believed I was amazing and perfect just how I was, but I knew the truth. I used their comments to buffer my internal honesty gauge, adding a few extra points to the "How hot am I" scale and ignoring the subtle changes in the mirror.

In an insane attempt to regain the body from my first year in college, I made the decision a week ago Sunday to begin an intense workout regimen known as P90X. With firmly pursed lips, I read my nutrition and workout guidebooks, took measurements and weighed in. I’ve got to get my body back.

Fat fueling my motivation, I mapped out the grueling journey in the 90 days ahead. I know their will be days when motivation is low and temptation is high, and days when I have energy to spare. Still I cannot shake the curious question; what will tomorrow bring?