My Workout Lately... 2/1/12

My gym buddy and I have been hitting the gym pretty hard this semester. We've always gone, but this year we've been pushing ourselves quite a bit.

I'm going to give an overview of what a typically week looks like for me as far as activity.

Sunday

Most Sundays are a day of rest for me. I usually take a nap after church and stay pretty lazy for the rest of the day. But lately, we have been meeting up with friends of ours (who have 2 dogs) and taking the dogs on a walk. This past week we did some trail walking/hiking. There were a couple of different trails to choose from (i.e., 1.5M, 3M, 5M, 15M, etc). I told them I didn't want to do the 1.5M because that wasn't long enough. So we thought we would do the 3M. But, someone apparently did not look at the map because an hour later we are starting to lose sun and no where near the end of the trail. So Reub pops out his i.phone and directs us back. We ended up walking the dogs for like an 1 h and 40 mins. This wasn't too taxing for me because we were just walking, but I still was sweating and burning some calories. Great way to spend our Sunday afternoon/evening!

Monday

I've been taking a class on Monday nights at 6pm called "Body Tone." Basically, it is a toning class. We use free weights, a body bar, or the bands. We usually do a full workout of legs, arms/shoulders/chest, and some core. I used to HATE toning exercises (I, typically, prefer cardio), but I love the instructor and I'm really starting to enjoy feeling sore... weird, I know. I started the C-2-5K (couch to 5K) program up again. We are on week 6 this week. So on Monday, we ran before class. It was jog for 5 mins, walk 3 mins, jog for 8 mins, walk for 3 mins, jog for 5 mins. I typically like to run before we take a class because by the time the class is over... I'm EXHAUSTED and STARVING!!! That's me like everyday when I leave the gym.

Tuesday

This week my workout buddy had a meeting that ran late, so we weren't able to get to the gym early enough to run before our class called "Power Kick." Power kick is basically half kickboxing and half body tone. It's a new class at the gym and I am LOVIN' it! Anyways, typically we run BEFORE class, but last night we had to run afterwards. Wowowow, it was tough, but I am happy to say we did it. Last nights run was 10 min jog, 3 min walk, 10 min jog. We may have been passed by the speed walkers, but our goal was to jog (even if it was slow). We are going for endurance NOT speed. 

Wednesday

Not much to say here. Wednesday nights I go to weight watchers, so I don't work out. Like almost EVER. Sometimes Rarely Reub and I will take Bells for a walk... Next week my gym buddy and I start boot camp though, which is 3 days a week, and one of those 3 days is Wed morning at 6 am. So my routine is about to change up....

Thursday

We run again BEFORE class. This week is a straight 25 min run... Then I leave the gym and head to church for "Faith N Fitness" with my church gals. And my gym buddy goes to hot yoga. Faith N Fitness is... awesome. no seriously, it is a-w-e-s-o-m-e. There are ~5 people that go. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Our instructor is a good friend of mine who is certified to teach a bunch of different classes. Lately, we mostly have been doing a kickboxing class. But sometimes we do circuits (which are really, REALLY challenging) or she has this other aerobic routine that kicks my butt (lots of high knee runs!). And sometimes we do hallelujah push ups. Those KILL. A whole song devoted to push ups. Thankfully, none of us can do "real" push ups, but even doing the girl push ups still hurt. Anyways, I always look forward to Thursdays because it's girl time.

Friday

Friday's we hit the gym hard. We start with a 25 min "Abs N Back" class at 5pm. Then we run for 30 mins (or do the C-2-5K for 30 mins, which has some walking :) ). Then we do a "Step" class at 6pm. We always joke on Fridays that we aren't messing around - we make every second of those 2 hours count! I don't usually get home till about 7:30 on Fridays, which sucks. Kind of messes with our social calendar a little bit. But whatever. Working out is something I do for me, so if we have an event that night either I'm going sweaty from the gym or with hair wet because I've just taking a shower or they will just have to wait till 8:30 so that I can primp. But, I always feel really good after I worked out, so it makes it all worth it. This week I'm headed out of town, so I'll be lucky if I can fit that run in. Let alone Step.

Saturday

Typically, this is like a Sunday for me. And actually, I am motivated even less to workout on Saturday than I am on Sunday. Probably because I'm still trying to recover from my 2 hour work out on Friday :). Or at least that is what I am going to keep telling myself. But again, boot camp starts up next week for me and one of the days is Saturday, so I will be working out every Sat at 10 am for the next 6 weeks. Oh joy.

I do have to admit that there is NO WAY in the WORLD that I would ever be able to do this without my support team. AKA my gym buddy (sometimes, buddies). Working out requires so much discipline and motivation. It is all worth it in the end, but sometimes you need a little accountability just to get to the gym.

I am no way perfect or completely disciplined alllll the time. So yes, we have those days that neither of us want to go and we'd rather get a mocha or go shopping. But when there is 2 of you (or 3), you have to all want that. And my gym buddy and I are both a little proud and a little stubborn, so neither one of us are going to be the one to pipe up and say something, so maybe once a month (maybe not even) we skip the gym. But if I was by myself, I would be skipping more like once a week.

 So there it is ladies. What does everybody else like to do for activity?

Seriously... new sheets?

Reuben and I got sheets for our wedding....

and they now look like this

AKA they have a HUGE hole in them! Llike a 10 inch hole, no joke. It looks like they are thread barren and not like the cat scratched a hole. How the heck does that happen?!?

I woke up in the middle of the night a few days ago with my foot stuck in the hole. The next morning I thought maybe it was a dream, but nope... I pulled back the blankets and there was a huge hole in the sheets where my feet normally lay. So these 750 thread count $150 sheets now need to be thrown away.

Guess maybe I just need to invest in some cheap sheets from Wally world if they are going to end up like this!!!

Trip to Colorado

This is a bit late (and by bit, I mean WAY late)..... My Mom moved to Colorado Springs a little over a year ago and this has been the first trip out to see her.

We were trying to make it a Labor Day a girls weekend. I invited my 3 sisters... My older sister Beck was the only one able to make it. She came from Idaho, so we kind of met in the middle. We arrived in Denver on Thursday and flew out on Tuesday. So it was like an extended labor day weekend.

Thursday
I scored a $100 Delta voucher for taking a different plane that arrived approximately 8 minutes later than my original flight (not too bad huh?). After my Mom and Step-Dad picked us up from the airport, we headed to Ikea...

They have one in Orlando but I had never been. Wow what an adventure. It was a wee bit exhausting walking around the warehouse - there is just so much to look at it. 

My sister started her working on her MBA this fall so we had to get home so she could do some homework, so after dinner (I think we ate at the black-eyed pea) we just hung out at home. My Mom is renting this cute little townhouse in CO springs. Its a 2 bed with a 2 and 1/2 bath. It is perfect size for them. It would get crowded pretty quick if we all visited at once, but with just the 2 of us there, it was perfect.

Seeings how Mountain time is 2 hours behind my normal time zone, I was crashing by 10 pm everynight.

Friday
The Colorado State Fair was going on in Pueblo, CO (like less than 1 hour from CO springs). We (Me, Mom, Beck, and my Mom's friend Patsy) went there for the day. It was fun. Lots of animals to look at and vendors.

We went to the pig races!

They had some really good vendors. I went and got my wedding ring cleaned. They did such a good job, I bought the stuff... and usually I don't purchase stuff like that.

We went to an Italian restaurant for dinner. Yummy... Italian and Greek are my favorites :)

Saturday

We slept in for a bit. Then went to a tea at Castle Rock. 

It was a chance to dress up and be girly.

After tea, we headed into the mountains - to a little town called Cripple Creek. It is pretty much exactly what you think of when you think of "mountain town." It is 10,000 feet above sea level. The roads heading there are.... interesting. They have wild donkeys that roam freely in this town. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see any. And once a year they have donkey-fest where they actually race them! They did that in July. This town had an old theater so we went and watched one of my favorite musicals Calamity Jane.



Cripple Creek, CO

 Sunday
We slept in (Saturday was a LONG day for us). Mom made us breakfast. We went shopping in the afternoon. We checked out my Mom's favorite grocery store (Whole foods), got coffee, DSW shoes, and a few other places. I fell in love with a winter jacket... then was crushed when Becky told me it was $129. I just can't justify the cost of that for a jacket when I live in Florida. I am going to keep a look out for it here though. :)

Monday
We started out at a HUGE Christian bookstore. *Love it when Mom buys* Checked out her huge Hobby Lobby. We then headed to one of the largest tourist attractions in CO Springs - Garden of the Gods. It was Labor Day and it was PACKED. But we drove around and looked at all the pretty rocks.

We then headed further out of town to Manitou Springs, which is also very touristy.

 They literally had springs throughout the whole city.

Manitou Springs is located at the base of Pike's Peak, one of the tallest mountains in CO (I think its like 35th). There  are lots of touristy shops to look at and such. We then went to the base of the mountain and walked a little ways up the trail. It was fun.

It is a 13 miles hike to the top. My Mom is thinking of doing it. I would love to try... :) 

After that, we headed back into CO Springs where we went thrift store shopping. I got about 5 Christian novels (that I am excited to read), a pair of Banana Re.public pants, and some workout pants. I think I spent less than $10 - SCORE. 

Before leaving town, we went out for dessert - just us girls. Then it was home to pack.

Tuesday
Travel back was exhausting. I bought my ticket out of Pensacola because it is always like 100-200 dollars cheaper. My friend picked me up from the airport at like 8 pm (Pensacola time, 9 pm Tally time). And I visited with her a bit and got to tour her cute new house :). I finally left Pensacola at like 10:30 Tally time and I hauled butt the 200 miles to home. Reubs waited up for me. He had cleaned the whole house - even mopped the floors. It was nice to be home and sleeping in my own bed... the cuddling didn't suck either...

Goals for the New Year - 2012

Clearly, I am a few days late on this post. But seeings how I just got back from vacation, this seems like the "New Year" for me (instead of last week).


I'm very goal-orientated, so I thought for this year, I would make "GOALS for 2012." Sort of like a New Years resolution. Also by making this a blog post and saying these goals out-loud (so to speak), it encourages me to be more diligent about completing them. So here they are:


1. Read the Bible through in a year. I read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation in High school, but I've never done it in a year. So I've downloaded an app on my phone... and I'm going to do it. I also am not going to go straight through. I've picked one that does 2 different books at a time. That way when I'm reading all the laws in Leviticus and Numbers, I will also be reading something in the New Testament. I'm exciting. 


2. Blog more. Even if I have nothing interesting to say or not cute pictures to show because I am terrible about remembering to take pictures. This blog is for me and I want to document this time in my life. I should set a goal and decide that I am going to do it like once a week, but I'm just not sure I can commit to that just yet... We'll see.


3. Save and buy a new roof. We have already begun this process and plan on getting a new roof before summer. But this also leads to my next goal....


4. Pay off 1 more of Reuben's student loans. We are now down to 2 of his. I have not blogged about this at all, but we did start financial peace 2 and 1/2 years ago and have been slowly paying off debt. We stopped paying when we got married (to save for the wedding and honeymoon) and we are also now at a stand still so we can pay cash for the roof. But I still like to make "payoff" goals. :)


5. I'd like to submit and publish 1 primary research article. I have data, I just need to work on analyzing and putting together the publication (mostly analyzing). I also would love to do another review article, but I'm not sure if that will happen. 


6. Work on improving the house. I have some minor projects that I want to do and have been putting them off. Mostly painting. But we have owned the house now for a 1 and 1/2 and I still haven't finished decorating. Sadly, we have also neglected the outside of the house. It needs to be power washed, the yard needs to be raked, and some sort of greenery would be nice outside (or flowers!).


7. I want to put together a calendar next year of 2012. My goal is to take pictures every month, just a couple so that I can put together a photo calendar for next year. Like I said before, I am terrible at documenting my life via pictures and I think this way I will have something to do with the pictures.


8. I am terrible about getting to work late (I'm totally not a morning person). I don't have to clock in or anything, and I don't have a set schedule, so its not like I am in trouble or anything. But I think setting a goal to be here by 9:30/10 is a good idea.


9. Lose 20 lbs. I'm sure this is everyone's goal for 2012. I have done weight watchers on/off since May of 2008. I lost a little over 20 lbs last year doing weight watchers, and I want to actually get to goal weight this year. I need to kick into high gear this year because I actually want to get to goal weight by the 4th of July... I don't want to take a year to lose 20 lbs!!! To help jump start this, I bought a groupon last year to do a 6 wk boot camp. My gym buddy and I have set an official date to begin our 6 wk boot camp - Jan 30th! Wish us luck.

10. Along the same lines... I want to run a 5K this year. I've walked one once before, but I want to RUN one. I started training last summer and then my running partner sprained her ankle really bad, so then I got out of practice. I can still run more than I could when I first started so I don't think we will have to start the 9 week C-2-5K from the beginning. We will probably need to start around week 5. We also plan on beginning that either this week or next. And I'm currently looking for 5K's in the Tally area around the end of March or beginning of April. That way we can do one before it gets hottttt!

11. Reuben and I donate to missions through our church every week, but this year I would like to sponsor a child. I haven't looked into a yet, but it's something that I believe God has put on my heart to do.

12. Visit a city I have never been to before. Preferably, close by. Maybe we will go for our anniversary.


So these are my goals for the New Year. I'm excited to see what God has in store for 2012. I think it is going to be a great year.