Stepping up my A Game - TD9

2.28.11

Staying in-line with ChaLean's schedule it was Burn 3 today. I took a few rest days in a row, headaches and other obligations, no excuses - i know.

I had the chance to have a conversation today with a friend of mine that ran in the Super Spartan over the weekend in SoCal. I received a lot of good information in regards to training, even though I'm only running the 5k version.

His advice was to train with running. Running, as you know, is already my weakness, so i have to step up my game now.

One of the goals on my dream board is to do couch to 5k, and that is what i am going to use to train, initially.


After DH left for work i pulled my new toy out of my proverbial toy box. The TRX Suspension Training System. I spent part of my day watching the set-up video; the video also includes basic moves and a basic workout.


There was nothing "basic" about it. I broke a sweat during the first move! I will say that I am IN LOVE with the suspended crunches! This is definitely going to be the equipment that will finally allow me to do pull-ups! and climb over walls lol.


Here is a running list of what i need to improve on:
Running
Endurance
Cardio Endurance
Strength
Strength Endurance.


That's pretty much everything associated with fitness! If i had a pool, swimming would also be on the list!

TD8W2

2.24.11

Great workout last night! I was especially proud of DH for keeping up with the insanity of ChaLean's Burn Intervals & Ab Burner. He only had to flip Chalene off 2ce this time hee hee, but he did it.

I noticed some strength endurance changes in myself last night during the workout. I kept the weight the same as the week prior, but I was able to get to the end of each workout. I'm not going to deny i teared up a few times, but i did it and i am so proud of myself for pushing myself to the end of each move. I'm sore today, but it feels delicious!

Yesterday was a particularly odd day of sorts. I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed, but within about 1.5 hours this exhaustive feeling came over me. I was blogging, and catching up with my clients on Sharecare and i literally could not go on a minute longer. I had to put my feet up on the couch and just lay there for a little while. I wasn't mentally tired, meaning i didn't fall asleep, it was my physical self that was dead, like my batteries literally ran out of juice or there was a power outage! Where's that bunny when you need him?! lol

I remained on the couch for about 20 minutes, then as quickly as I stopped I started back up again! Then it was ON! Mt. Laundry was being tackled, I vacuumed the entire house, including the stairs, dusted everything, cleaned the kitchen and bathroom.. it was an all out assault on the house!

Later on that night was when DH and I crushed our workouts, then we were both in bed by 11:30! Unheard of, especially for him!  

My TRX Suspension Kit arrived that afternoon too! I cannot WAIT to get going with that! Check it out:

TD7

2.23.11

ChaLean Burn Circuit 2 was on the menu tonight.

DH & I had an awesome workout, and I had an over-abundance of energy afterward and decided to do TurboFire HiiT 15 too!

I must be insane!

It was a great time, created a new BFF called Blister on my left big toe.. Blister made a nice comfy home there, oh did i mention blister doesn't like water? We quickly became enemies in the shower, Blister was winning until I put a band-aid on it.

I also became familiar with what is called exercise-induced bronchoconstriction and it's not a fun activity to partake in. It started after HiiT 15 while i was in the shower, I started to cough, chest was tightening, and i was coughing up some mucus at times, but nothing crazy, not like smokers' cough or anything (It felt more asthmatic actually). This annoying chest tightening followed by a cough lasted approximately an hour before it ceased.

At the time, i didn't know what EIB was, I happened upon an article that had mentioned it while I was looking for tips on running outdoors during Winter. Apparently, this is quite popular in the exercise world; I'm just hearing about it for the 1st time even though it's happened to me a few times in my lifetime of working out I and I thought nothing of it.

Here is the overview by Wikipedia:

In a patient with EIB, exercise initially follows the normal patterns of bronchodilation. However, by three minutes, the constriction sets in, which peaks at around 10-15 minutes, and usually resolves itself by an hour. During an episode of this type of bronchorestriction, the levels of inflammatory mediators, particularly leukotrienes, histamine, and interleukin, increase. TH2-type lymphocytes are activated, with an increase in T cells expressing CD25 (IL-2R), and B cells expressing CD 23, causing increased production of IgE. After exercise, the conditions will fade within one to three minutes. In most sufferers of EIB, this is followed by a refractory period, of generally less than four hours, during which if exercise is repeated, the bronchorestriction is less emphasised. This is probably caused by the release of prostaglandins.

The underlying cause of this type of bronchoconstriction appear to be the large volume of cool, dry air inhaled during strenuous exercise. The condition appears to improve when the air inhaled is more fully humidified and closer to body temperature.

This specific condition, in the general population, can vary between 7 and 20 percent. This increases to around 80 percent in those with symptomatic asthma. In many cases, however, the constriction, even during or after strenuous exercise, is not clinically significant except in cases of severe to moderate emphysema.

I am interested to see if it decreases as my endurance increases, or if this is more apt to happen to me during the cooler months, because of the cooler and drier air. I'll keep you updated on that too!

TD6W2

2.22.11
Last night was a stretch night, and DH and I used TurboFire Stretch 40.

I'm very proud of my DH, 2 days in a row he has willingly worked out with me, takes my proper form corrections without arguing and has thanked me for another great workout.

Families that play together stay together! SO TRUE!

Now, if I can only get him to compete in the Spartan Sprint.... 

I'm still working on a hybrid for me, but for now I'm going to continue with ChaLean as-is since I have the kettlebells and the TRX enroute to my home. I'm really excited for the TRX!!

"Good habits are as addictive as bad habits, and a lot more rewarding." -Harvey Mackay

A Change in Plans - TD5W2

2.21.11
Slight change of plans.. I'm currently brainstorming on how I can effectively train.

Reason:
The hubby decided to workout with me for the first time since I met him over 4 years ago. Last night, I introduced him to ChaLean Extreme Burn Circuit 1.

While that puts me at week 2, it puts him 1 week behind me, and I wanted to start the TurboFire/ChaLean Hybrid last night.

So what I am "contemplating" is doing doubles, OR continuing with CEX as is and ADD TurboFire. I can do my cardio either in the morning while he's sleeping or after he leaves for work at night, this way we can to ChaLean together.

See the madness? lol

On top of all of that, I ordered the TRX Suspension System, cones, rings, and Kettlebells. 1. to add equipment to my home gym (I'm a personal trainer so i need the stuff anyway), and 2. I am going to need them to train for the Spartan and Tough Mudder (which my brother and I are OFFICIALLY entered into as of last night - yikes!)

OK, OK, OK, Yes! I AM a personal trainer, and YES I use workout videos. Why? because I love them. They are already done for me, I don't have to make my own routines, which can be time consuming believe it or not. Even trainers need trainers sometimes, and I trust the trainers I work out to on the videos. I don't buy "celebrity" videos; I buy the videos that have science behind them, that I know work.

Enough of that. The TRX Suspension System seems to be gaining in major popularity these days, so after doing much reading/research and youtube video watching, I decided that this is it. This is one of the key ingredients to my fitness routine to not only prepare for these races, but to get my body into the shape it needs to be in to function properly. I'm SO excited!

Also, I spoke to a colleague of mine out in the Vegas area yesterday morning. He is doing the Spartan Race in SoCal this upcoming weekend! So excited to hear about his experience and see some really cool pics! He did mention to me that I should consider using Insanity as well to train, because it is a good cardio endurance, mind control workout. So I'm contemplating that as well!


Update on the medication wean:
I visited the doc late last week and he wants me to stay where I am with the .5mg. After explaining the symptoms I was suffering from he wants me to slow down the decrease even more, so I have to stay here for a few more weeks. I am Ok with that, because the second .25mg drop I did was torture.


Plus, my anxiety out in public seems to be a little stronger, so he wants me to adapt more to each wean before I decrease. All-in-all though, it's been OK, and I'm feeling positive about the outcome!

TDW1D4

I passed on the workout yesterday, I had a major headache so I had to pass - I was NOT happy either way!

I made up for it tonight though!

I successfully completed ChaLean Extreme Burn 3, Burn it Off, and Recharge.. 86 minutes of pure awesomeness!

I started with Burn it off, as i knew that was going to be more of a cardio/endurance routine and if i had to blow out weight training first i would not have the energy to get through it. I'm glad I made that decision too because my muscles were warmed up and ready to shake!

There was only 1 exercise I had to completely modify and that was Sumo Squat with Calf Raise. I could NOT get the form right with the weights, so after 8 reps I paused the DVD and started at 1 again with no weight just to perfect my form. I did 12 with perfect form with no weight - weight or not that was intense!

Finished up with Recharge which is a flexibility/stretching/Yoga routine and it felt delicious!

I had to indulge in the recovery drink for Burn 3 though, my muscles were shaking like crazy!

Then finished up with a nice shower to wash away the DNA!

Dig Deeper - TDW1D3

Yesterday was an odd day of sorts.

I went to bed around the same time I usually do, but instead of sleeping until my normal time I woke up at 0545. I tried to fall back to sleep, but ended up popping out of bed at 0611 BRIGHT EYED AND BUSHY TAILED!

No complaints here! I was able to get in a morning workout. I had forgotten how great a morning workout makes me feel! Most likely because I haven't worked out in the morning since 2005!

I enjoyed a cup of Orange Sunrise while I folded the load of laundry that was in the dryer from the night prior. That was the perfect meal pre-workout as it gave me some energy and took the morning hunger pang away.

The morning's workout was ChaLean Extreme Burn Circuit 2, and I brought it by increasing the weights, it was this day that i realized how strong I have become.

During the day I had to work through some panic triggers and a mild anxiety attack while my DH and I were running errands. Traffic is a major trigger for me, and we ended up getting stuck in a pretty bad traffic jam while out. I just kept focused on my iPhone and read some articles on the Spartan Race Blog to keep my mind off of it, and for the most part it worked. ( I ♥ my iPhone)

Later on that evening, when DH went to work, it was time to go to work on myself. I had to play catch-up so I popped in ChaLean Extreme Burn Intervals and Ab Burner; which was the designated workout for the day.

Let's just say i forgot what CE Burn Intervals was! Goodness!!! It's a combo of strength endurance training (low weight for a long period of time) and Plyo/Turbo Jam. You also have to use leg resistance bands for a lot of the lower body work. No complaints.. but OUCH!!

This program made me dig deep, made me sweat out A LOT of DNA, and pushed me passed my quit limit. Well, actually I pushed myself passed my quit limit. There were so many times i wanted to stop, not the program itself, but the actual exercise I was doing. I kept digging deeper, almost brought to tears a couple of times because i just could not do 1 more rep, or do that extra squat, or failing before time was up. I only had to stop on one exercise and that was burpees. I am NOT good at burpees AT ALL, and I never have been.. instead I did the modified version, which (with all due respect) is not easy, not that i expect it to be, but dang!

For the first time in my years of using the DVD programs I found myself watching the count down clock. This program was NO JOKE, and i had to keep watching the timer tick down or i was going to throw in the proverbial towel. I didn't feel comfortable until the clock reached 9 minutes, but those were the longest 9 minutes of my life! I had to keep telling myself.. "The Spartan and the Mudder are your goals, if you fail HERE you will fail THERE.. what are you made of? Dig Deep! Eeking out 1 more rep, 1 more squat, 1 more burpee is not going to kill you, it's going to make you stronger! You want to get over that wall right? Run through mud? Then you need to do this! Think about all of the wounded soldiers you are doing this for! They won't give up and they are disabled! You are able bodied so use it to it's full potential!"

That was enough motivational talk to get me through the tough spots. In fact, 90% of the time i was envisioning being at the Spartan and blowing through with such precision, speed and determination all because i trained, and trained hard. If i train easy i will fail, and failure is NOT an option.

I am not going to deny that I was sick to my stomach afterward, but after i had my recovery drink it settled it a bit and took my shaking muscles away. My system was TAXED.

This morning i can feel every single muscle in my buttox, abs, arms, and back and Burn 3 is on the agenda for tonight. At least my blister doesn't hurt anymore!

I think this quote by Bruce Lee fits perfectly into this blog post:

If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.

Mt. Snow - TDW1D2

Working out isn't always about lifting weights and bouncing around in an aerobics class. I decided to do some functional strength and endurance training in the form of shoveling snow/ice.

We've had a particularly harsh winter thus far and it's dumped an insane amount of snow where I live. My property is not shoveler friendly. The way the house/driveway/front & back yards are set up there really is not a good place to put snow, so we put it where we could during these storms. They are in the way and melting and refreezing because of the unnaturally warm temperatures this week. I started with a nice size deck piled with 3 foot icy-snow piles that I shoveled two days ago. Today I moved into the sun a 5 foot high x 4 foot deep x 3.5 foot wide pile that was by the back gate that was in the shade, and took the spade to chip the under-ice.

WOW! What a workout that was! back, arms, core, legs, cardio, endurance (because it took nearly 2 hours to move). I was sweating like I was in a steam room for an hour! It felt AWESOME!!! Well, all but my left hand that now has a very painful blister.. I guess i should have worn gloves lol.

Tomorrow it is going to be in the 60 degree range and i plan to move more, because Father Winter and Mother Nature are the only two that know what the rest of the winter holds and I need the realestate! lol

Rebirth

I read an interesting article this morning; it was 1 of a 4 part series, and it introduced the lesson of getting up when life knocks you down.

This article birthed a saying in my head that I will now claim as mine, it's long but who cares:

Being born was your first greatest obstacle and success in life, followed by a slap on your bottom by the doc. When life turns into an obstacle, go back to the doc and have them slap your bottom, instead of curling up in the fetal position.

Martin Luther King Jr. had this to say "“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge.”

Don't be afraid to ask for help, ever. Don't worry about how others judge you, you don't know what they went, or are going through and sometimes the embarrassment of seeking medical help keeps people from talking. Don't be quiet, scream it! You ARE always a work in progress! If you stop working on you, you stop living. Just like in school, you had a teacher then.. you still need teachers now!

Forward Thinking...

The webinar was great, but more of a sales pitch to spend 3-4 days at one of their seminars. If I lived closer to the closest location and had $500 laying around, I would go, but I don’t.

Afterward, I sought out the ChaLean/TurboFire Hybrid workout I mentioned in the last post. I Auto-scheduled it in the Supergym starting Monday.

I am going to finish this week with week 1 of ChaLean.

My brother has lost his mind and keeps spamming me with SPARTANS!!!!!! WOOHOOO!

I think he’s the crazy one.. hee hee!

An appropriate quote:

Don’t worry if you think you’re crazy, even the tall oak trees were once nuts.

TDW1D1

Moving forward TD = Training Day; W= Week

Today I did ChaLean Extreme Burn Circuit 1 (BC1).
Quickly, I’ve done this program in the past and with great results, but i wasn’t preparing for total insanity, just a wedding.

Looking back on my notes from the time prior, I am much stronger now. I used to start with 5lbs, now I’m starting with 10+ and it feels AWESOME. I was so happy to get through D1 with so much progress already..
After my workout, while I was in the shower, I totally forgot that I had TurboFire! ChaLean and TurboFire have a hybrid workout, and TurboFire is an endurance workout for sure.

Once I complete this post, and complete the Self Development Webinar that is starting in a minute, I’m going to put it all together!

How it came about..

Hopefully, you read the info about what this blog is for. If not, please see the main page.
Today I posted this on my coaching group on facebook:

Re-starting ChaLean Extreme today. After many talks with Coach Susan, i think i am going to train for a Tough Mudder for 2012. I saw that they have a training regimen and it looks fabulous! So have to get started! My biggest weakness is endurance. It never used to be that way, when i was a kid and i would swim/train at “the Y”, i used to be able to swim underwater about 3/4 the length of an Olympic size pool over and over. My trainers used to be amazed at my underwater aquatic abilities lol. Now I’m lucky if i could run a 1/4 mile without wanting to keel over. So train i must!

That post started a VERY quick whirlwind with my brother and I, and HE decided to sign us up for the Tough Mudder in November.

I went to their website and looked at the obstacle course descriptions and I about had a panic attack.
Crawling through tubes, running through electrically charged fences, running through fire..and those are just to name a few.

I became light-headed, heart started racing, and the sweats started. Panic set in.

I decided to get in contact with MY coach, and asked his advice because he was having a hard time with nerves coming into a major event himself. His advice was basic and to the point. Don’t worry about time, just focus on surviving to the end, and train.

As basic as that was, it was very effective.

I already had planned to start a workout program tonight, (as i mentioned above), but now I’m going to increase the intensity of it all. Not only do I have to work on strength; I also have to work on endurance as well. I know Insanity™ is one of the most intense endurance training programs in the video market. It’s a completely mental program that pushes your limits, and I’m REALLY going to need that. I am also going to need extreme strength training, and as much as I LOVE ChaLean I may need something more intense, but I am going to stick with that until I can find a proper substitute.