Cross Fit Journey "Day 2"

So sad to report, but not all workouts have a "cool" name like yesterday's "Hanson workout"- so guess I'm going to have to be inventive - let's call this one "PushNPull" (you'll see why).

Today was my first weigh-in and body fat testing along with pictures to document this experience-sad to say that as "in shape" that I am for keeping active, I register at 41% body fat! (welcome to the norm for American population) My goal (still) is to lose about 30 pounds and I'll get there, when I get there- but this year!!

So onto the workout:

Stretching upon arrival, then that lovely 400m run - which was much easier today, getting a longer night rest definitely helped with that.
We went over what the circuit was going to involve for today:

3 circuits with varying reps - decreasing each time. Decreasing reps is a GOOD thing!

1. Rowing machine: 20 calories, 15 calories, 10 calories (for those that don't know Rowing machines register your workout by a variety of ways, but since we are timed on our workout, we are given a goal in this case of calories burned)

2. Squat thrust/presses: Dumbbells in hand resting just above your shoulders- squat and then on the way up trust/press the dumbbells into an overhead press. 15 reps/10reps/5 reps

3. Pushups: no-brainer here. 20 reps/15 reps/10 reps

4. Pullups: again- no brainer. 15 reps/ 10 reps/ 5 reps

My time on this circuit workout: 13:50

Then we finished off with ab work: scissor kicks, another kicking exercise (can't remember the name of it- but basically kicking straight legged up and down with abs right) and then kettle ball situps. We did 10 reps of each of these.

Final stretch and DONE!

So far so good, I felt much better today- it was a tough workout, but I didn't feel as lame as I did yesterday with those damn burpees! Funny side note: last night my husband said "so what are burpees anyway- you gotta show me" So I said, "ok, I'll show you and I'm only showing you one time, so pay attention"- then after I showed him, I said "now give me 10" and he did 5 and said "ok, point taken, that's enough" - LOL I told him, "I DID 50 OF THESE TODAY"- so as sucky as I might have been on burpees, hubby would have probably sucked more! :) But I still love him to death!

Cross Fit Journey

So today I started my first "Cross Fit" training and I can see that this is going to be an awesome program! Each day the workout is different and you don't know what to expect. You are also timed on the circuit, so that you can see how much better you do the next time around.

Today's workout was called "The Hanson" (I think)...
anyway- we started with some stretching, then a 400m run/jog outside (ok I'm in serious trouble for the Nike 1/2 marathon in October ~ what was I thinking?)
After that warm-up, we then started the circuit:

5 rounds, 10 reps of the following:


1. Kettle Ball Swings
2. Burpees (OK- i HATE Burpees...I don't care what anyone says, they are not good for me and I really, really HATE them)
3. Ab Machine/Crunches

My time today for the 5 circuits: 15:00
I would have done so much better had it not been for burpees!

Afterwards, we did some stretching and then bridges off of stability balls, balancing one leg at a time, and then ended with a few planks.

I am SORE ~ and it's only been 4 hours!
I am SORE ~ and I am a fitness instructor! In shape, but not in this shape!! This is the type of training that police officers and firefighters go through!!
I am SORE ~ but it will get better!!

The philosophy behind the Cross Fit program is that every workout is different, you never know what you'll get from one day to the next. I have heard that there will be a few times when we meet at a nearby swimming pool and one of the "circuits" will be to swim a lap!

Really going to give this my best shot and see how it goes- I need someone to kick my ass into gear and make me accountable. It's also nice being somewhat "done" with my workout at 630am!

VACATION SHOWCASE

"Well-Deserved Vacations"

Sunday, May 3, 2009
12 noon- 5pm
Hiller Aviation Museum
San Carlos, CA
Holly Exit off of Hwy 101

Special Guest of…

PAMS PATH TO TRAVEL

www.pamstravel.net

pam@pamstravel.net

650-363-6156

CST #2076527-40

In times like these, you need SPECIALS like OURS!! Each attendee will be eligible for the exclusive offers/discounts unique to this event for any vacation booked with one of the Peninsula Travel Experts affiliated agencies by 5/17/09.

· “Open House” format ~ Come as soon as it’s convenient and stay as long as you like. ADMISSION IS FREE to the showcase AND the museum!

· You are invited to attend a series of free travel-related seminars throughout the afternoon.

· You will have a chance to chat with representatives of over 30 of your favorite travel providers representing: Classic Vacations ~ Disney ~Viking River Cruises ~ Club Med ~ Holland America Line ~ Wine Tours of the World ~Royal Caribbean ~Carnival Cruise Line ~ Eco Adventures ~ Hyatt Resorts ~ Starwood Resorts ~ Pleasant Holidays ~Big Five Tours ~ Apple Vacations ~ Collette Tours ~ Insight Tours….and many more!!

· Your Peninsula Travel Experts will also be circulating around and will be happy to answer any questions that you might have!

Admission into the Travel Showcase is FREE and you also get to enjoy the Hiller Aviation Museum for FREE!!

Schedule of Presentations:

12:20pm - 12:50pm Norwegian/Carnival/Holland America Cruise Line

1:00pm - 1:20pm Collette Vacations/Insight Vacations

1:30pm - 1:50pm All-Inclusive Vacations/Apple Vacations

2:00pm - 2:20pm Disney Destinations

2:30pm - 2:50pm Family Travel & Club Med

3:00pm - 3:20pm Hyatt Resorts/Classic Vacations

3:30pm - 3:50pm Australia/New Zealand Vacations & Wine Tours

4:00pm - 4:20pm Viking River Cruises & Oceania Cruises

4:30pm - 4:50pm Packing Demonstration

It's 1am, I should be sleeping ~ but find that I feel I need to write. This has been a tough week and I can't believe that is only the wee hours of thursday. Monday I received a call from our vet with the news that our beloved kitty Spaz has chronic renal failure and hyper-thyroidism. She says he has probably 6-9 months to live without treatment, but that even with treatment he won't likely live much longer.

Treatment consists of daily pills (which he just doesn't take at all!) and fluid injections ~ daily. I've spoken to several friends and family who have gone through the same decision that I'm faced with. Some did treatment, some didn't. I seem to hear that the ones who did treatment felt that it was too emotionally draining on them and my sister who chose not to do the treatment really felt that treatment would have been a selfish decision to keep her kitty around longer.

I really am torn- I've read up on both diseases/conditions and it seems as though there is no pain until the final stages, just the slow deterioration of the kitty's life and will to live...that is going to happen with or without treatment. I really don't think that I want my Spaz to have memories of mommy and daddy pricking him with a needle all the last days of his life.

I'm already going through the stages of loss, I think- in preparation for when the time comes. Thinking of how much this lovable kitty means to me, how he has been such an important part of my life. Spaz became a part of my life on November 12, 2000 from the Humane's Society. Their best guess at the time was that he was probably 3-5 years old...based on his condition, I'm guessing he was probably more like 5, making him 13.5 now. My ex-husband thought he was a pretty cool cat and urged me to go check him out (this was just 2 days after we had put our previous kitty down)...but 2 days after that we came home with Mr. Spaz and he very quickly showed us that "Spaz" was the perfect name for him--he's a crazy kitty! There has not been a single day in the past almost 9 years that he has not cracked me up and/or put a smile on my face.

This kitty saw me through my gall bladder surgery in 2002, was by my side throughout my recovery and would not get on my lap until i put the pillow in place (over my wound)...he saw me through my lonely marital separation times- he also gave me the big "paws up" when he met Bill for the first time - he was the only man I dated after my divorce that Spaz came running to. The three of us have become a very close family ~ Spaz has his mommy time and his daddy time- he greets each of us when we come home and always has a few words to say...he really is our furry child...and a damn smart one at that! As I work from home and have been working from home now for 5 years, Spaz and I have grown even closer and he visits me throughout the day and makes it very clear when it's time for me to take a break (sits on the keyboard so I cannot work). I cherish those times. I find it funny that as soon as he hears me on the phone, he appears and has to say "meow" to whoever I'm talking to (usually a client or my mom).

Everyone who has met Spaz and spent any amount of time with him has grown to love him and has said he's one cool cat! I'm afraid they broke the mold after Mr. Spaz was born because he truly is one of a kind. When his day comes- I will miss him deeply and forever.

Weight Loss can be such an interesting journey! Let me preface by saying that back in 1999, I had joined Weight Watchers and ended up losing over 50 pounds on that journey. By summer of 2000, I started teaching fitness classes at the gym (go figure!). I was successful with keeping that weight off and even lost another 10 pounds through separation and divorce in 2003/2004.

New life begins in 2005 when I meet my now current husband, love of my life and we LOVE our life, we do things, we go dancing every week, we eat out nice dinners with friends or just ourselves A LOT, and we enjoy a nice glass of red wine several nights a week. Well, hello weight gain ~ go figure. So I could see 5 pounds, 10 pounds, 15 pounds creep on me, try to lose it...it becomes this roller coaster ride with my weight. We go on great vacations and gain weight, come home and try to lose the weight...endless, vicious good circle! LOL Anyway, finally the scale tipped at 39 pounds gained since the day we met-- NOT HAPPY.

Like I said, I have been a weight watcher for years, followed the program, logged everything: good, bad and ugly. But still wasn't losing weight. Yes, I had cut back on my taught classes at the gym, but was still working out. Christmas 2008, gift from husband - "The Body Bugg". For those who are not aware, this is the same arm band computer that the contestants on The Biggest Loser t.v. show wear to track their calories burned. Well, I was excited to receive this gift (almost as much as the Diamond rings that I also received), but this new tool was an enlightening tool. I came to learn that a spin class only burned 300 calories on average and with weight watchers, they would give me 8 activity points for that workout...which would mean 800 calories burned. No wonder I wasn't losing weight-- I was over-calculating my activity points. My body has just become way too efficient in burning calories via a spin class!

Now I have been working the Body Bugg/Apex workout system, logging my calories consumed each day and then getting the readings from the Bugg for my daily calories burned and the science is there and it is accurate. Burn an average of 500 calories per day in a week and you lose 1 pound, burn 1000 average calories and you lose 2 pounds. I was over ambitious when I started and wanted to lose 2 pounds per week, but over 40 this is a very difficult task when you are not willing to give up the dinners out or the fabulous bottles of wine?!?!! I have been doing this program now for 10 weeks and I have lost 10 pounds!! Yeah for me! But because I have been active and been teaching classes at the gym for so long, I have to work soooooooo much harder to lose the smallest amount of weight week to week.

I am very proud of my achievements thus far and can't wait to meet my goal- it will still take a few months to get there...but I will get there. This is a great program.

Here I am sitting, watching election coverage and wondering- what next? I did not vote for Barack Obama, even though I knew that he would win. I really was all for McCain until he chose Sarah Palin for his running mate. I was one of the undecided people until 7am this morning...it came down to which candidate proclaims the same values that I hold dear- not who could promise me this or that. I think many Americans who might have voted for McCain held the same reservation that I did- what happens if he dies and we're stuck with President Palin? I really believe that was a huge mistake for the McCain campaign. I do think Obama ran a pretty good campaign overall- and he won the American people by promising change- well what Presidential candidate doesn't promise change? I have been reading over comments on Obama's myspace page and various interviews and I really think Obama won because so many Americans are desperate to be saved. The economy sucks and many people are losing their homes, jobs, etc. and thought Obama would be able to save them ~ I wonder how they will feel 6 months from now when change has not happened. It won't happen over night and I think many people expect to see immediate change, it's not going to happen. I'm not saying that Mc Cain coud have made immediate change- nobody can, but I think many of the American people are a bit dillusional that Obama can come through with all he has promised.

I know that I often advocate why people need travel agents and recently had my own experience where being a travel agent helped me get home sooner. Coming back from Arizona this past weekend, we get to the airport about 2 hours before flight time to find out our 350pm flight was canceled. Something about a bird flying into the engine (poor bird). As we waited in line for an agent, I immediately called my office to find out when the next flight would be - 730pm (not good)- so then I asked about other airlines and learned that Southwest has a flight at 315pm and 530pm with seats.

I get to the agent at United and explain that a 730pm departure is too late and that I would prefer to take the 315pm flight on Southwest. He explains that they cannot turn my ticket over to Southwest (I knew this)- but that I could get that part of the ticket refunded and buy a new ticket with Southwest. I told him I would be happy to do that ~ he actually offered me a $100 travel voucher per person for the inconvenience and I am sure he did that because I treated him with respect, I knew what my options were and asserted myself with the situation. We ended up getting on the 315pm flight with Southwest, made it to the gate just before the plane arrived and we were home a good 30 minutes prior to our originally scheduled flight.

I will say a huge "thanks" to my husband though for insisting that we get to the airport 2 hours early vs. my wish of 90 minutes. We might not have made that 315pm flight if we had arrived later.

Where is your next vacation????
www.pamstravel.net
pam@pamstravel.net
Making your dream vacation, a dream come true!!

I really love Spinning and love to teach it- what becomes very frustrating at times is when students do things that are just plain WRONG!! You can try to instruct over and over again, but some people really think they know best.

This is an excerpt from the recent Spinning newletter- the FOUNDERS of the SPIN program- if you are a Spinning fanatic- read on, some of these things might be bad habits that you have been taught...

Do What on a Bike?

From push-ups on the handlebars to "isolations," there’s some pretty scary stuff going on out there. And while the intentions behind such movements are certainly good, it’s important to know what movements should not be done on a Spinner® bike and why.

Riding tri style.Why it’s done: You’ve probably seen triathletes riding with their forearms on the handlebars, which makes it seem like is must be OK.Why it shouldn’t be: When you’re riding a road bike, this position is not as potentially harmful because your bike moves. But because the Spinner bike you ride in class can’t move, your body needs to be relaxed enough to dissipate the energy you’re creating. Keeping your back or any part of your body completely still can place excessive tension on the hips, lower back and/or neck.

Dropping the seat.Why it’s done: “Hardcore” instructors have been known to drop the bike’s seat, forcing their students to remain standing.Why it shouldn’t be: Riders must have the ability to go at their own pace and recover, which means that they should always have the option to ride seated. Removing the seat could cause a rider to over-exert or injure themselves.

Stretching on the bike.Why it’s done: It seems like a harmless way to stretch.Why it shouldn’t be: Not everyone is flexible enough to swing a leg up onto the handlebars. And stretching the calves on the pedals could cause students wearing tennis shoes to slip out of the pedals.

Adjusting a student’s resistance.Why it’s done: You’ve all got students who constantly pedal without resistance. It’s natural to want to encourage them, but making adjustments for them is not the way to do it.Why it shouldn’t be: Turning your students’ resistance knob or even quantifying a change in resistance (two turns to the left!) is never a good idea. Not only are instructors unable to judge how much resistance a student can tolerate, but significant differences from one bike to another makes this a dangerous proposition. Try cueing your students using rate of perceived exertion. For those with a fear of resistance, help them overcome misperceptions.

Push-ups, figure eights or other upper body movements Why it’s done: Instructors mistakenly consider such movements effective ways to build core or upper body strength.Why it shouldn’t be: These movements are not safe or effective. There’s insufficient resistance to build strength and the erratic movements can disrupt balance and misalign the body. Save core and upper body conditioning for the weight room.

Riding sans hands.Why it’s done: Instructors may think that riding without hands engages or strengthens the core.Why it shouldn’t be: While it’s OK to ride with no hands at low resistance during warm-ups and cool-downs doing so at other times places excessive pressure on the lower spine and makes it difficult to maintain a smooth pedal stroke. Core conditioning should not be attempted on the bike. Stability ball work, Pilates and yoga are all effective ways to build core strength.

Isolations or “freezing.”Why it’s done: Instructors interpret the burn that accompanies many of these movements as a strengthening or anaerobic workout.Why it shouldn’t be: When the body is held still on a stationary bike, tension is transferred into the joints—especially the knees and lower back—which can lead to injury. Your body must be relaxed enough to soak up energy that has nowhere else to go. Want your students to go anaerobic? Teach a Strength, Race Day or Interval Energy Zone™ ride.Your passion, energy and creativity are all you need to create rut-busting rides that keep students motivated and engaged. There may be just five core movements but with a little imagination, the possibilities are endless.

Without a Travel Agent- you are lost!
I know that today we live in an age where "do it yourself" is the name of the game. But on the flip side, we also live in an age where we are happy to enlist the services of a professional to take care of things that we are not as knowledgeable about and/or things we just don't have the time to take care of ourselves.

As a Travel Specialist, I LOVE the internet and I LOVE when my clients have come to me with some ideas and research that they have already done on their own. It is important that we are all informed so that we know what we are doing; however, industry professionals are the ones to make sure things go smoothly and they are the ones "there" should you run into any problems. In a perfect world, nothing will go wrong- but we know that our world is far from perfect- but using a Travel Specialist will make life easier from start to finish when planning your trip.

I have had two recent airline situations that I would like to share:
Situation #1: My client's daugher emailed me to say that her mom's flight was delayed from Kansas City and would likely miss her connection in Italy in Atlanta. They wanted to know what her options were. I emailed back and told them that although it was the last Delta flight of the day, there were two other options that would still get her to Italy the next day. When the client missed her flight in Atlanta, Delta said they didn't have any options except their flight the next day; however, when my client asked about the Continental or Air France flight that was going to leave in 2 hours- all of a sudden, Delta was able to put her on one of those flights. KNOWLEDGE is POWER!! Now what would this client have done if she booked her ticket through an online site like Orbitz or Travelocity? She would have been lost and at the mercy of Delta and would have been a day late for her Italy adventures.

Situation #2: A corporate client had a business meeting in Houston, it finished early and he hoped he could get on an earlier flight home. However, weather was already delaying flights and his reserved flight was mechanically delayed. At 5pm Houston time, he calls me to see what other options he had to get home that night. I told him that the 7pm flight was sold out, but there were 3 seats left on the 9pm (Continental had already told him all fights were sold out and had begun to find him a hotel)- I grabbed a seat on the 9pm flight and then all of a sudden the Continental agent was able to confirm him on the 7pm flight- again- if he didn't have his trusted Travel Agent to contact, he would have been at the mercy of Continental.