tremendous MOXIE

I will post one thing every day until my birthday that makes my life wonderful and I’m thankful for. Some may be deeper than others.

Day 1:

Bacon

Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations

If you’ve ever gone back to the gym after a long time off, you will appreciate this.

If you’ve ever trained someone and sent them on their way hobbling, you’ll appreciate this.

A client sent me this. Enjoy!

Dear Diet Diary

As a Christmas present this year, my daughter, bought for me a week of personal training at the local health club with Tony the trainer. Although I am still in reasonable shape since being a high school cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My daughter seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started. The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.

Monday

Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find the trainer waiting for me.   Tony is something of a Greek god: he has curly hair, dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Yippee!

He gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skilful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring! He was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my stomach was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around. This is going to be a FABULOUS week!   My New Year resolutions will be easy.

Tuesday

I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out of the door. Tony made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air. Later he put weights on it. My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. His rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT! It’s a whole new life for me.

Wednesday

The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn’t try to steer or stop. Tony was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. His voice is a little too perky for early in the morning; and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Tony put me on the stair ‘monster’. Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Tony told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. He said some other garbage too.

Thursday

Tony was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel lips were back in a full snarl. I couldn’t help being a half an hour late; it took me that long to tie my shoes. That man then took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. He sent a skinny woman to find me. Then, as punishment, he put me on the rowing machine - which I sank.

Friday

I hate that Jackass, more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. He is a stupid, skinny, anaemic, anorexic little bighead. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it. Toady wanted me to work on my triceps. I don’t have any triceps! And if you don’t want dents in the floor, don’t hand me the flippin’ barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich. The treadmill flung me off and I landed on the health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn’t it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?

Saturday

Satan, left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing him made me want to smash the machine with my planner. However, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

Sunday

I’m having the Church bus collect me up so I can go to services today and thank God that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my daughter will choose a gift for me that is fun: like root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!

Let me preface this by saying this may not be interesting to anyone but me, but this my journal of sorts, so read if you want but don’t feel like you’ll break my heart of you skim it. After all, it’s the internet, I can’t see you.

My plan is to do 30 days of workout programming taken from a Crossfit Gym. My first gym of choice is Crossfit Invictus. I chose them because I know a little about them and their philosophy. This could be kind of cheating a bit since it is quite similar to what we do at WCSC, but the good part is I don’t know and I can’t pick and choose. Aside from choosing the type of workout, since they have 2-3 each day under the headings : Fitness, Performance and Competition. Fitness is geared towards beginners but always scalable and sometimes grouped with Performance. Performance usually comes with more complexity and a strength component. Competition is, well just that, if you are training to be competitive in Crossfit. I’m fairly sure I will most often choose Fitness or Performance. While I do want to be competitive, those are much more time consuming and intense. Maybe a couple of those…who knows.

I thought about getting a dice…die?…magic 8 ball… and making it truly random. we’ll see.

So here I go!

Day 1
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 6 minutes of:
100 Meter Run
10 Burpees

Rest 3 minutes, and then . . .

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 6 minutes of:
Kettlebell Swings x 15 reps (35#)
Push-Ups x 10 reps

Rest 3 minutes, and then . . .

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 6 minutes of:
Box Jumps x 15 reps (20″)
Pull-Ups x 10 reps (kipping)

My Stats:
1. 4 rounds + 4 reps
2. 3 rounds + 21 reps
3. 3 rounds + 3 reps

Before I started I read this post by Josh Brindges about mental barriers. I decided to try to emply these in my workout.

During round 3 of the KBS I was thinking I would break them up 10/5 but decided when I picked up the kettlebell, to do “one more rep”…and then again, and I did it. I got to 15!

Another mental block I have is on the box. I never really rebound. I jump up, step down…always. So, I decided to go slow and try to stand and rest on top, then jump off and right back up. I did it for the first round. It wasn’t faster, but I think practice will get it there, maybe starting on a lower box, too.

I was also able to get through the last round of pull ups with “one more rep” when I really wanted to let the clock run out. I really think learning to push myself will be key in my performance, along with my strength goals.

On to Day 2…

I read this blog periodically…The Barefoot Foodie…she’s just the right amount of crass and real and exceedingly funny.

I found these little gems from her blog:

Who exactly thinks this is a good idea? Load in your pants, perhaps?

And then there is this…

Wine Lollipops

Wish I had the gumption to make them. Maybe I could just order some, or continue thinking about how they are probably amazing and never get the chance to try it. Ah well.

And, finally to get you pumped about the Crossfit Games Open, which starts in just 31 DAYS…

Have a great Sunday!

I was thinking about a ‘goals and resolutions’ post but I fell asleep coming up with the idea and therefore resorted to telling you this.

Enjoy.

1. D Fi Hair Wax
I got a haircut about 10 years ago (yes, I’ve had a few since then) and my hairstylist used this on me and I have never found anything I like as much or works the same. I have tried but to no avail to go a cheaper route. The saving grace for this product being so expensive is that it lasts a very long time.

2. Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth
I started using this years ago when I thought I had cavities but the dentist said I just had sensitive teeth and set me sail with this stuff. I switched for awhile to something regular when I forgot to buy it and noticed an almost immediate difference. The store brand is just as good as the Sensodyne, FYI.

3. Coffee
Do I really need to tell a story here? It’s coffee. Pictured is coffee from the shop next to WCSC…local roasters and SO delicious!

4. Computer
I love my computer and really any computer. I’m a bit of an internet addict and can sit for hours reading blogs, shopping, scanning Facebook and Twitter, writing for my blog, researching fitness topics and generally wasting time because there is a ridiculous amount of STUFF on the internet that is interesting.

And that’s totally what I look like…;-)

5. Earplugs
Last but CERTAINLY not least, I must have earplugs when I sleep. I started wearing them not long after Jared and I were married and they are priceless. When we go on vacation if I forget them there is an emergency trip to the store…but that hasn’t happened in a long time. When I don’t have them, I don’t sleep. End of story.

And then there is Phyllis. I can live without her picture…but she came up when I searched ‘computer lady’ and I thought you guys had to see. Who thought this was a good idea? She’s a floating head!! Phyllis needs a better photographer.

Cheers!

My spirits have been a little low this season. It’s always a mixture of wanting to totally indulge the consumer inside me and buy everything for everyone, because gift giving is fun, added to remembering the focus of this Holiday and not getting wrapped up (heh) in material things but realizing why we celebrate.

I go through a similar feeling at birthdays of people I can readily see and touch. I have people in my life that scoff at birthday celebration. My question is “why?”

I’m sincerely happy the people in my life are there, therefore I find it truly fitting to celebrate their birth. The ACTUAL day the earth was graced by their presence.

Same goes for the Son of God. I guess the bigger question is, why presents? I don’t really know why we give birthday gifts. I’ve often thought we should give them to the parents, especially of children. They have done the work of birth and raising. Am I right, folks?

I would answer myself by saying “tradition”. I believe traditions are important. You don’t have to have a ton of them or follow what anyone else does, but having foundational things that you can hang your hat on, so to speak, makes life somewhat predictable, in a truly unpredictable world. After all, we really have no idea what tomorrow will bring, despite our plans, but traditions can bring calm to a sometimes chaotic
existence.

For example, I didn’t follow a tradition that I love, this year, and now I’m a little sad that I didn’t do it. But, I have other things that I have done that makes it feel like mine. Like home.

I truly believe that Jesus was the most exceptional gift ever given (your beliefs may be different) but in my celebration of that, I choose to give my kids a few things, fill their stockings and get up early to have coffee and look at the Christmas tree. I will reflect on the overflowing grace and love of God upon my life and over everything I see. I will acknowledge that I don’t have control over the next year or even the next hour, but I will resolve that I will continue to cherish the people placed in my path -ALL of them- and take each step into 2012 with expectancy for GREAT things.

I hope you will, too.

I love you all. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

I’m looking for some Christmas miracles up in here, ya’ll!

Rayne has been doing great, at least as far as they eye can see. After her last cardiology appointment the doctors realized her valve that she had surgery on is too small due to scar tissue formation. They set about to schedule her for angioplasty. This procedure is more risky than her previous surgery because of how small the vessels are. So, On Wednesday Rayne will be admitted at UCLA Pediatric Cardiology Unit for the procedure.(the link shows the doctors names). Our family and as many friends as we can reach will be praying for Rayne and her family on Wednesday morning (December 21st) at about 7am. I hope you will join us and add her to any lists you may have.

Additionally, the nephew of a dear friend was severely injured in Afghanistan and needs a miracle. What better time, since you’ll already be there, to put him on your list. His name is Edward, and he has a young wife and a brand new baby girl. Here he is pictured with his sister.