TA Meta and everything else - Fall / Winter 2023

[ebianco]

Good afternoon everyone,

Catching up on the last few days:

Monday-60 minute treadmill walk

Tuesday-I was feeling so exhausted I took a true rest day and didn't even walk, and even took a sick day from work so I could really just be lazy and hopefully restore myself.

Yesterday-I was feeling better from my rest day so I did Epic 3 Day 30, HIIT complexes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1I3...juFXy&index=31) which was actually pretty doable! I don't know if I'm just becoming desensitized to Caroline's HIIT workouts but they seem more doable than they used to. Except that one burpee HIIT workout from a few weeks ago that one was just killer. The complexes made the time go fast.

Today-treadmill walk 55 minutes then Epic 3 Day 26 back and biceps (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xShZ...juFXy&index=27) and Caroline used I think 33.3# for back so I used 30# or 35# on certain exercises and felt really good about that. Then it was only the last few minutes on biceps but they were killer.

This week is 6/10 weeks through for Epic 3 and I feel like I'm really into it this time, it is just the right amount of challenging and not too overwhelming, and like I mentioned even the HIIT has been doable.

Eventmom I am soooo sorry to hear that you fell down hard, and both yourself and your horse got injured. (((HUGS))) to both you and your horse! Like Buzzer mentioned, there's really nothing more miserable than injuring yourself, not being able to exercise, and being in pain I'm glad the second vet was able to see your horse right away and that the wire missed her bone and tendon. I'll send positive vibes your way and hoping you are doing okay!

Buzzer It's great that you found a running trainer that you really resonate with! And great job keeping up on your P90X!

Thank you for the kind wishes and yes I really did take advantage of the nice weather, got in two long outdoor walks a few days ago, but the last couple of days we have had a cold snap. But the warm weather is definitely right around the corner again. I love this time of year with all the trees in bloom. I've also been growing herbs using an indoor hydroponics system (I got this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08ZC...9171f3e60&th=1) and have already harvested a dill and a basil plant I actually tried repotting them so I could plant them outside but they didn't take. And I'm going to try planting some wildflowers in the next couple of weeks outside, when we won't have freezing nights anymore. If nothing else it will keep me getting outside more to take care of them!

Lucie waves!

[ebianco]

Happy Friday everyone,

Checking in with a tough Epic 3 Day 27 'no repeat squats' workout (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLte...juFXy&index=29) to work the whole lower body. It may have been no repeat, but there were several extremely similar exercises stacked on top of each other (for instance, 5 or 6 different varieties of sumo squats before moving on to a stack of heel elevated squat variations) so the burnout was real, LOL. I started with 2, 25# then used 2, 20# and one 20# for some exercises (even needed to drop to a 15# at one point). My legs are burning! And now a 60 minute treadmill walk.

I hope everyone is doing well!

[Buzzer]

Ran 3.44 miles.. DONE!
P90X just up to the reverse warrior section... DONE!

Then I had to go in and start school with LB. The run was so good! I didn't think I could run 3.44 miles, let alone do it 4 days in a row!!! I feel great!! I am finding my groove. It's crazy that now I am trying to find runs that are around 40-45 minutes!!!! I have some on my schedule that are shorter, just in case I come out to the treadmill and want something shorter. However, I can do the 40-45 minute runs! That's amazing to me. So amazing. I am 20.74 miles for the week, and 107.13 miles so far this year!!! That's with 23-ish days off for vacation, plus random other days off!! I think I only had 200 miles for last year alone, so this is so cool. I don't know. I am so chuffed about this running thing lately. I'm amazed I am at this point, and so happy!!!! I am figuring out how to relax and do it. I have more time to spend working on my form, and finding where I should be. I am just amazed.

Well, so far I am 4 pounds down since the beginning of the year. I know it's not much, however since I have tried for years and not lost an ounce, I will take it!!!! I even decided to track it. I am finally stepping out into confidence territory that it will continue. I did read that you have to heal before you can lose, and I have been working on healing for a long, long time. Now maybe it's my time to lose. Maybe it's the running. I don't know, but whatever it is, I'll take it!!

It is so gorgeous out. It's only been a week since the 3 1/2 foot snow storm... and already we are wondering if there is enough snow on the hills to sled. The dirt pile is pretty clear of snow already!! I can see dirt!!! It is probably already over half melted in most spots. So crazy. We are supposed to get more, but we will see. the amount of water and mud around is insane though!

Ebianco:I think full rest days, even from work, is perfect. I mean, we rest our bodies when we are tired, however we never think that we also can be mentally exhausted. Taking a day to recover your whole self is awesome! I"m glad it seemed to work for you.

Your trees are in bloom? That's so cool! I always watch for the buds and blossoms, but haven't seen them yet!!! Gives me hope that ours will soon also!!
I got so excited about your hydroponic system!!! We got one from DH for Christmas!! Although we got a gardyn system, which is so cool. We just had a sunflower bloom, we have tomato blossoms.. even with going out of town, it still turns on the light and waters the plants. We call him "Alfred". He is a great gardener!! LB loves to walk by and eat salad leaves or lavender.

we threw all our old seeds from last year we had leftover, into our "island" (the middle part of the driveway, we have a "C" shaped driveway) I am excited to see what we will get!! We threw a lot of seeds out! I am kinda wishing I had bought some wildflowers and put them out, however there is still time!!!
I am so in love with this time of year. Not the snow, but the promise of nicer weather!!!

Hi Eventmom! I hope your appointment went well and you are on your way to healing more and more.

[eventmom]

hi everyone well I tried to meditate during my workout time. I am not great at meditating it made me feel worse headache wise. sigh. tomorrow I will stretch some

from what the orthopedic surgeon's PA said she couldn't see the non displaced fracture. obviously she can't disagree with the radiologist but radiologists are super paranoid and will write up the worst case possible. So I'm not too worried about the fracture part. She did an exam, no torn ligaments/tendons, her xray looked at the lumbar and that was find as well. So mostly very sore from butt bruise (I have one bun of steel! not from the workout) feeling better every day. Forgot to take ibuprofen this am. but I do wear out pretty fast and don't sleep well.

buzzer - great news on the run and congrats on the weight loss - that's awesome seems like you are finding your groove!

ebianco - that's a crazy long squat workout and you walked after - you could walk after!! I probably wouldn't be able to!

hi lucie!

[eventmom]

so I actually did some stretching today:

most of this somatic yoga
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62k7...NRILC&index=46

and this jill miller face release
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQyX...NRILC&index=47

have a great weekend everyone!

[Buzzer]

Ran 3.61 (yes, .61!!) miles... DONE!
Standing Yoga to seated yoga P90X yoga.. DONE!

I can't believe I ran that far!!! I am slow, but I did it!! I do need to lift sometime, but is am enjoying the yoga. My left shin and calf is aching and stiffening up now, but I DID IT!!

I turned off the data bar and just ran. It was a bit harder today, which is probably reflected in my sore calf/shin. I bet when I start finding it hard is when I change how I am running and start plodding or something. Anyhow, I am glad I did it anyhow!! The stretch after was well worth it. I spent too much time after my run in the calendar moving the runs I have saved to different days and shuffling things around. I kinda like to do that with my DVD's also, so I guess it is natural for me to shuffle my workouts around. I have put in nothing but Tommy's now so I don't get so bored. Luckily he is still filming workouts for iFit, so I won't run out!

The yoga was great. I modified, of course, because I am not that bendy anymore. I used to be... but not anymore. It felt good though, and all my modifications were perfect for where I am now. I do need to work on my flexibility. And strength. There aren't enough hours in the day for me to do it all though.

So tonight is anywhere from 6" to 14" of snow. What a range!!! One is an inconvenience, one is more of a problem. Hopefully we are just inconvenienced.

We did to go the store after church, so we have food and are fine. HA! We could probably live for a few weeks on what we have, but we have fresh vegetables at least!!

Eventmom: I am surprised and glad you could do some stretching!! That's great! I am also glad she couldn't find the fracture. Crossing my fingers that what she says is correct and all you have to do is heal from some bruising!!! I remember something, in the back of my mind, that speeded up the healing of bruises. Like, I fell off the step stool and hit my arm on the coffee table, and put it on and the bruise healed in like a few days. I think it was a Dr. Christophers thing... lemme look it up.. oh yeah, Dr Christophers complete tissue and bone. It was magic. It might help if you are so inclined!! I still have some... I have some bruises on my arms from lord knows what, I should try it. Thanks for jogging my memory, even though it hurt you to do it!!

I wonder why meditating made your headache worse? Do you think it was the meditating, or barometric pressure? I know we are getting a huge swing in barometric pressure.... it's so warm people are wearing tank tops, yet this evening we are getting a crap ton of snow. I'm sure it's hitting you guys a bit also! Denver is supposed to just be rain. I so wish that was all we were getting. Oh well. Maybe next year I will be OK with snow again. That last one just broke me.

Hi Ebianco!! Hope you are out enjoying some spring weather!!! Hi Lucie!!

[ebianco]

Hi everyone,

Catching up from yesterday-some pretty good cardio about 35 minutes of rebounding and some floor cardio then Epic 3 Day 28 chest/triceps/abs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfzw...juFXy&index=31) which was really hard especially for the chest and triceps. Ooh I have DOMS today in my chest!

Today was again a cardio warm up then Barlates Endurance 70 "up and down" which was great (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdEd...NQca&index=160), the time went by fast but then again it was only about 27 minutes not 30 like I thought. The time went by so fast though! My only note would have been to add a timer like she has for the Endurance 30, 40 series but the 70 seconds went by super fast it didn't feel like it was dragging at all. Then immediately into Barlates Endurance 40 "cardio sculpt interval" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIlG...NQca&index=161) which I also really liked! The time went by fast on this one too and yeah it really got my heart rate up even more than the Endurance 70. I was worried it might be too easy since she did a lot of alternating, but she also mixed in several exercises on one side (Tonique style) so I did feel some burnout too. With a stretch it was an 84 minute workout!

Tomorrow and Tuesday are planned rest days but I do hope to walk on the treadmill.

Eventmom I hope you are feeling better and glad you were able to get in some stretching! I'm also glad that maybe your injury isn't as bad as originally thought?

Wow I'm also surprised meditating actually made your headache worse, except I guess with pain sometimes thoughts kind of distract you from the pain, so clearing your mind makes the pain voice louder. that's what I would have tried to do in place of my exercise time too though!

Buzzer Congratulations on your 4 pound weight loss!! That is huge! Whenever I can shake off a pound or two I feel like throwing a party, it's crazy how mentally transformative a couple of pounds make, so I get it! Yeah I'm sure it's a cumulative result of your running and like you said focusing on your health and wellbeing.

Wow you have an even fancier hydroponic system I'm jealous! Yeah you can really plant bigger plants like tomatoes and stuff in that! It is so funny that you named it Alfred LOL. I also love how the light is on a timer and the water doesn't run out for a couple to even several weeks (depending on how big the plants are) so it really runs itself. I just love watching stuff grow. And yes I agree with you this time of year is full of hope and promise of warmer days to come.

[Buzzer]

Ran about 10 minutes, then walked the rest... DONE!
Some modified P90X Intervals.. DONE!

I just pooped out. I ran about 10 minutes, then the rest of the 34 minute workout I walked. I just crashed yesterday. I did walk at 3.3 mph at a 5% incline though, so I tried! I run at a -2.5% incline, so when I walk I try to go at an incline so I can work the different muscles (my glutes and hamstrings). I also have a balled up left calf, which today feels a bit better. I thought intervals would be intervals of cardio and weight training... nope. Just cardio intervals. The only weights they did were chest (pushups, OF COURSE P90X) so after the chest interval I stopped. I was running out of time and plus it was just a lazy kinda workout!

The rest of the day I felt just... blah. I had energy, we did what we needed to do, but in the afternoon/early evening I was falling asleep in my chair while we watched "Horrible History", which is not like me! I usually am very alert because it's hilarious. I didn't do so well on food, because I was tired, so I didn't eat much. I guess when I don't eat much, my family doesn't either. So it was a weird day all around.

Today we have violin lessons early, so I will see if I get a workout in after violin or if we go straight to school. I could go either way right now, however that's me that just woke up talking!!

I don't remember if I told you guys, however we just ended up with about 6-7" of snow this time. It is soft and fluffy too, which is also good and different than last time! DH was home, so he shoveled and plowed it. I didn't have to. I think if anything happens to him, I will be so lost!! Or I would just move to a warmer place. that works too.

Ebianco: Yes, Alfred is amazing! Even when we were gone, he watered them and made sure they have light. We currently have sunflowers blooming, which is so pretty!!! We have another plant blooming, however we don't know what it is, and our tomatoes are blooming also!! It's really fun. LB likes to walk past and get a lettuce leaf, or line her friends up and give them a leaf. They love it too, and are at the age where they will line up for lettuce leaves and think it's cool. Your system is awesome too!!! It's working for you, that's for sure if you already tried to transplant two plants!! I am surprised it's so warm you can do that already. We can't plant anything until after Mother's Day, and even that is pushing it. We are high altitude/short season. It's so hard. I feel like I struggle every year with a garden and we never really get one.

I am totally fascinated with hydroponics though, I think it's such a good idea. I became interested in it when a neighbor, when LB was still in a chest carrier, took me through her greenhouse where she had a setup of hydroponics that had fish in the water and sounded like a fountain!! It was amazing, and I wanted to know more. I haven't really gotten into it like I know all about it, but enough that I was interested and talked about it. Now all Alfred needs is fish That's not gonna happen!! HA!

Eventmom: How is it going? I really do hope it's just deep bruising. I am surprised you could do the gentle stretching, however if you can, do it!!! Do what you can, and take care of yourself!

[eventmom]

Sunday: can’t remember exactly what I did
Monday: this short standing pilates which hardly seems like pilates + shoulder stretch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnDE...AYZA0&index=18
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvO5...AYZA0&index=17
Today: same instructor as yesterday plus short yoga practice for adrenals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRRo...AYZA0&index=16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWT746vQ_ps

buzzer – thanks for the link to the cream for bruises it’s in my cart but of course I haven’t actually order it! Meditation often makes my headache worse, I’ve even have headaches turn into migraines while meditating so I doubt it has anything to do with barometric pressure. I think it is more what ebianco said that being active distracts me from the pain but also since at least part of it is allergies movement keeps all that crud moving instead of stuck. Awesome on the runs (well maybe not yesterday but that’s just one day!)

Ebianco – I think it is that keeping my mind off the pain makes a big difference.

Thanks to both of you for encouraging me. I’m sick of it I can’t get comfortable in any position which sucks. I have extra barn work b/c the one horse had the wire in her hoof and can’t go out due to the mud. If it dries out I have a place to put her out and my life will be easier. So I’m sort of grumpy!

Hi Lucie!

[Buzzer]

Ran about 10 minutes, then alternated between walk/run for about 25... DONE!
JNL Fusion upper body... DONE!

So I think I did too much too many days in a row with the Grand Canyon run. I don't know. I ran only 3.5 miles, however my body has ached for the last few days. Even my upper body. Too much running? Stretched too much? I don't know. however yesterday my body still ached so I took it easy. Chose a lighter run and gave myself the grace to walk. My calf was still bugging me, the one that balled up, so I am taking my magnesium and working on stretching it more. Sigh. A set back, but not giving up!!! I'll see how it goes today!!

JNL fusion was an oldie but goodie. I haven't done it in probably 10 years, and it cracked me up. All the posing, yelling, and silly talk!! "I am kicking your trash!" and making a guy take his shirt off to show off his muscles. It is like high school pretty girls and the football team put out a fitness video I liked it, however it was fairly cheesy. LOTS of makeup and skin. The workout was good. I modified to cardio, however was happy to have the extra cardio since I've been slacking on my runs. I didn't go full on.... jumping jacks were the very modified step out left with arms in jack position, step in. Step out right with arms, step in. Stuff like that. It was just movement. I did use my 12's for the exercises, and 5's for the one back fly exercise. It was good!

I worked out late, like 10am since we had to go to violin lessons and I woke up kinda late (6:30am). Today I woke up with Eugene whining outside my door at 4:40am, and I panic got up thinking he had to poo or something. Nope. There was no water in their water bowls so they wanted to go out and eat snow. So I put them on the deck instead of walking him outside on a leash like I thought I would have to do. My own fault, I know to check before bed. Sigh.

So I should be able to get in my workout super bright and early! HA! I am wondering overstretching since I did the bow pose for P90X the other day over a fitness ball, and really, REALLY felt my abs stretching. Today they are aching in that same spot I felt the stretch. so I wonder if I overstretched instead of over ran. Who knows. I'll let my body recover as it needs to.

Eventmom: Sorry about this stupid weather. Hopefully you get some drying out by now or today!! I know our driveway is almost dry, probably one more morning of good sun and it'll be less mud and more dry dirt. Sadly we have more snow this weekend... so far just 3-4", so keeping my fingers crossed not only for us, but for you!!! I do old lady around saying "we need the moisture" however in your case, I hope you dry out.

that is so interesting on the meditating! I mean, it makes sense, but I wouldn't have thought of it. Maybe meditate with white noise or something? Would that help, or just annoy you? so interesting. I know it's a pain to you, and annoying, however I would never have guessed!

Ebianco: I love your workouts. I always go to the links and think "I should try that!" however I don't have streaming in my workout room! So DVDs it is. I am still maintaining a 4 pound weight loss... I guess I've already plateaued I am celebrating it, and celebrating keeping 4 pounds off. However, I think it's time to move in a southerly direction again, Mr Scale....