What a Great Last Morning of the Year

I was wide awake quite early this morning for some reason.  After resting in bed for just a little longer I got up and got busy.  My sister, BIL and SB met me at the gym this morning for a wonderful 1 1/2 hour workout.  I got in 6 miles on the bike again, 1 – 8 min mile on the treadmill and a 30 minute circuit workout.  I’m feeling good at the moment, but I am sure the feel good muscle aches will kick in before too long.  All worth it though.  I am already feeling better about myself.  It is amazing what a little exercise can do.

I also spent some me time in the salon this morning to get my hair trimmed.  The last time I got it cut back in July I got 10 inches cut off.  This time I just got it shaped and thinned out a little so it doesn’t look like such a ragtop. 

I also stocked up on some delicious veggies and fruits to get me back on track with eating right.  Why are groceries so expensive anymore…especially the good for you groceries.  At least I did save over $15.00 with my bonus card.

I’ve been enjoying reading everyone’s year reflections and new goals for 2012.  I am planning on taking some time this afternoon jotting down a few of my own.  It has been a great year and I am looking forward to what 2012 has in store for me. 

Monday, Monday...here you are again.

BUT we are down to just 7 more Mondays until Summer Vacation!!!  I know this teacher is worse than the students with the count-down to summer.  I can't wait! 

We are off to a good start to the week.  The temps were wonderful today, even though by the time I got outside to enjoy the nice weather it started to pour.   I did get some errands run and got to play with the doggies outside.  I also got in a 30 min Yoga Meltdown workout in with Jillian Michaels.  I love the level 2 workout.  It is probably my favorite of all her workouts I've tried so far.  I still need to move on to level 2 of Ripped in 30 but I keep getting sucked back into the Yoga and 6 pack abs.   My goal is to do level 2 of Ripped sometime this week.  (I think I had the same goal last week....try, try again!).  Tomorrow's workout plan is a run with my dad and hopefully some Pilates when I get home.

We had delicious golden mushroom vension with pasta tonight.  It was really good.  Basically my mom's stroganogg receipe but instead of cream of mushroom soup I used golden mushroom soup.  It was very good.  Any suggestions for tomorrow nights dinner?  I think it might be time for another honkin' big Pittsburgh style salad.

On a roll

This morning got off to a great start.  I was on the ball.  My graphic design lesson went really well today.  Everyone participated, came up with great ideas and started some really great projects!  The rest of my day went just as smoothly.  I was able to get all prepped and ready for my afternoon classes and still had time to eat my lunch at a normal pace with actual time to breathe between bites.   

When I got home I had to race to get up to the doggies and we took off at a ran on our loop as the thunder was rolling and the raindrops were falling.  We made it back to the house without getting too wet.   After Cowboy got home we split up the kidz and both of us got a workout in.  I spent 30 mins working on Pilates.  It felt soo good to do some of those moves - especially the flexibility section.  Hoping to get a run in tomorrow and maybe day 1 of Ripped again.

I've still been keeping track of my workouts and my points, even though the Fitness Challenge has been done for a while.  Hopefully tomorrow or Wednesday I will do a post on my points and workouts for the last few weeks.

President's Day

It was so nice to have a three day weekend, even if on the third day I was snowed in.  At least we had the day off and don't have to make it up.  We got about 8 inches here in the Northeast last night.  It was heavy, wet and great snowman building snow.  Which of course meant heavy and tough shoveling but a great workout for me and Cowboy. 

This weekend was really nice.  We didn't have much planned and it was great to take it easy.  I got lot of cleaning and laundry done on Saturday morning and then went to the Beagle club for the late afternoon to help with the Rabbit Hunt.  Sunday we did more cleaning and spent lots of time out in the sunshine enjoying the bare grass after three great days of warm sunny weather.  The puppies loved playing outside, wrestling, ripping out grass and chewing sticks.  They were a tad tuckered out for their vistors.  My good friends came by with their two little girls ages 4 and 2.  The girls loved playing with the puppies and boy were the puppies exhausted when they left.

On both Saturday and Sunday I got in a few points for the Fitness Challenge.  Here's my weekly recap:

Monday - 1.5 points       30 mins of JM Yoga
Tuesday - 3 points          30 min 3.6 mile run, 30 min total body workout
Wednesday - 1 point      20 min walk
Thursday - 3 points         20 min walk, 40 min JM Abs
Friday - 2 points             40 min 4 mile run
Saturday - 3 points         30 min Pilates (Abs, Butt, Arms), 30 min walk
Sunday - 4 points            30 min Pilates, 30 min JM Yoga, 20 min walk

A total of 17.5 points for Week 3.  Lower than last week but within my goal.  This week I am going to try to step it up again and get above 20 points.  I hope to get in at least three runs instead of just two.  I need to pick it up a bit with running since the 5k season will be starting here soon.  Along with the workouts, I've been trying to eat better, more balance to my meals, taking in more fiber and remembering my vitamins.  I feel pretty good but still have the winter blues - just don't feel like I'm doing enough or have the energy to do enough.  I can't wait for spring.

I had my camera out a few times this weekend but didn't take near as many pictures as I should have.  There were lots of great shots of the puppies that I missed.  I did get a few last night of the little girls.

Macy Dae.  Isn't she just adorable.



Macy likes to pose.

Charisma was tuckered out.

She was attempting to quietly snuggle with Copper without disturbing him..



Feels like a Thursday

For some reason if doesn't feel like a Tuesday, it feels more like a Thursday.  Oh, how I wish it was.  I don't want to do schoolwork and really need to figure something out for both Accounting and Graphic Design.   I'm tired and need a nap....thank goodness bedtime is creeping up on me. 

I got a run in with my Dad after school.  It was a really good one, 3.6 miles.  My legs and hips felt so stretched out and relaxed.  It's been a long time since I ran without any tightness in my legs.  I attribute that to the yoga from last night.  I thought I would be sore when running but it was competely opposite of that.  I did some of the Bender Ball total body workout tonight but am looking forward to tackling the Jillian Michaels 6 week 6 pack abs again tomorrow

Well enough procrastinating time to get back to schoolwork.

Whew....

I'm exhausted and need a nap.  Its been a busy day here in our little Endless Jubilee world.  We did lots of little things around the house this morning and then went to a baby shower for friends before heading home to take care of the crew. 

I am also VERY sore today.  Jillian Michaels and 6 Week 6 Pack Ab workout kicked my butt yesterday.  WOW!  Those workouts are intense.  There is hardly any down time between each exercise and she just has you moving from one to another to another to another.  It felt really good but I didn't feel it till today and boy do I feel it. 

This week was really good for the workouts.  I got a lot more points that I thought I would. Here's the rundown:

Monday - 2.5 points        20 min walk, 20 min abs and 10 mins stretching
Tuesday - 3 points           30 min 3 mile run, 30 min walk, abs and stretching
Wednesday - 3.5 points      25 min walk, 45 min abs, buns and thighs
Thursday - 4 points          40 min 3.6 mile run, 20 min walk, 20 min abs and stretching
Friday - 2.5 points           20 min walk, 30 min 3.3 mile run
Saturday - 6 points          20 min Pilates Stretch, 40 min JM abs, 60 min hike
Sunday - 1 point              20 min walk

That's a total of 22.5 points for Week 2.  Last week I set a goal for 12-15 each week for the first three weeks and then 15-20 the second three weeks.  I guess I blew that goal out of the water.    I think having the three new videos plus the old ones i had, I can get in a good mix of workouts which will definitely increase my points for each week.

Tomorrow I will share some pictures of the newest puppy addition to our crew.  Charisma Jane arrived on Friday.  Here's a sneak peak

Feeling Good

Today was a pretty good day.  I was a "friday" for my students.  They have off tomorrow and we have inservice so it was a short week.  I didn't bring any work home - woo-hoo!!  I also got a 3.6 mile run in with my dad and did my first Pilates workout.  All my DVD's came today!  I wanted to take it easy so I tried out the 10 min Pilates workout and did two of them: Pilates Stretching and Pilates Abs.  Both were really good, quick and easy.  I like them and am looking forward to trying the other three.  I can't wait to try to Jillian Michaels workouts too. 

Time to go finish my glass of wine, relax for the evening and great ready for new TV shows from Grey's, Bones, and Private Practice.  I doubt I'll stay up for Private Practice though! 

Mighty Monday

Whew...it's been a busy week here in our house.  A lot has been going on and I will try to get the blog world caught up this week.  Today, I wanted to focus on my workout recap for the first week of our Get Fit Challenge. 

The program that is being run by my school and our health insurance company is a little competition between three teams within our district.  The team is made up of a group of participants and we each earn 1 point for every 20 mins of exercise Monday - Sunday.  On Monday we report in our point totals.  Our submission is entered in a weekly drawing and the team that earns the most points at the end of the six weeks wins a monetary prize for a local organization.

For my first week I got in a few workouts, walks and of course some shoveling.  Here's my recap

• Monday - 20 min walk
• Tuesday - 20 min walk and shoveling, 40 min walk and shoveling and another 20 min walk
• Wednesday - 50 min walk
• Thursday - new puppy - no time
• Friday - 20 min walk
• Saturday - 40 mins abs, buns, and thighs; 20 mins Taebo and weights
• Sunday - 30 min walk

So I had a al of 13 points for the first week.  Hoping to get up to 15 points this week.  Definitely going to get in at least two runs in if weather allows.  I hope to make it to a least one group class at the Y too.    More news on the new puppy tomorrow hopefully.

What day is it?

My schedule is all goofed up.  We finally got a "good" storm which dumped snow and then ice, freezing rain, rain and everything else on us.  I had a snow day yesterday and enjoyed a true snow day doing almost absolutely nothing.  I did play with the doggies in the snow, took four walks with them and of course shoveled snow.  

Today, Cowboy and I are both home on a snow day.  The doggies are loving it.  Cowboy spent most of the morning getting things plowed and shoveled.  I am being lazy once again HOWEVER today I did do some schoolwork.  Not as much as I needed but sill some none the less.

So over the last few posts I've been struggling with actually working out.  Now that the Fitness Challenge has started and I need to record the time spent working out, I've been doing much better.  We earn 1 point for every 20 mins of exercise and already I have racked up 6 points for the week.  Hoping to get 2 more points today. 

To start I've just been focusing on walking (since the roads are not run-safe yet) and stretching.  This afternoon I am going to break out the Taebo videos.  Those are the only workout videos I own - or at least have here at my house.  It's times like this that I wish I had a WII or Kinect and Zumba workouts.  Maybe I will pick up the ab workout DVD's and ab ball at my sisters to use for a few weeks.  I think I have a set of hand weights there too. 

My baby sis said yesterday that she found a workout book for me too, so hopefully that will help as well.  Thanks Beanie!!  In case you didn't figure it out - I'm not a fan of this cross training and working out stuff.  I like running but all this other stuff is just boring unless of course you have buddies to work out with and laugh at.  Hm, maybe I'll look at the Y schedule and see if there is a class I can take right after school.  Anything to help the workout boredom. 

How do you deal with workout boredom??