Drawing Inspiration!

This morning I dragged myself out of bed and did P90x - Week 5, Day 2 - Plyo X. Every time I do this workout, it seems to get harder - probably because I am now more focused on technique, rather than just getting through the workout as such. I didn't really feel that enthused until I started the DVD and was reminded that one of the participants has a prosthetic leg. Seeing this guy give it his all in those circumstances pushed me to give it a good shake this morning. I then followed up with RPM 33 and gave myself a good hiding as John E would say.

It is very weird not having DH around. For one, when the alarm clock goes off, I turn on my bedside lamp. Usually this is a big no no and I am scavenging around for my workout gear in the dark. Secondly I added peanut butter (sorry Kek) to my oats this morning and no one blinked an eyelid! If I had done that in front of DH he would say, "what are you doing? Now my worst fears about your weirdness have been confirmed!". Charming DH..... I also added more starchy carb to recovery meal this morning and I am feeling really good right now - and taken my fish oil capsules. Once Mr Berardi has finished with me I'll be a veggie swilling, fish oil burping goddess :)

Many people want to know about the effectiveness of the p90x program. After five weeks my stats are - weight is the same....I am stronger for most pulls/pushes..must mean a little bit of muscle being added there! Wahooie! I certainly don't look puny :)

New toys!

Like everyone else who blogs here, I am partial to a new toy or two. I decided that after my last Polar heart rate monitor died (from overuse) that it was time to invest in a new one! I scored myself a lovely blue F-11, which I cannot wait to try out. When the delivery guy came I was in the middle of doing a new workout, "Step Boxing" by Kelley Coffey Meyer. Boy, I don't think this fella knew what to think when he saw sweaty moi at the front door.

But back to Kelley's workout - this one I really enjoyed. I must admit I was apprehensive about it, because I have heard wildly conflicting opinions about it - once I got used to Kelley's style of cueing, it was "game on".

I also did p90x Chest, Shoulders and Triceps - I had never done this one either and I was sorely humbled - one armed push ups (I had to do these on my knees) and clap plyo pushups figured in the mix. Then I ran 100 metres up and down the road outside for 20 minutes. I cannot leave the house because with hubs being away, I do not want to leave my kids unattended. Jogging up the road and sprinting back ensured that I could see the house at all times and I still got my workout in.

I had breakfast the Precision Nutrition way and added peanut butter to my oats and protein powder. It aint half bad with chocolate!

Smacking the paper tiger!

DH is now officially off to South Africa and rather than feel really sad, I'm throwing myself into an official month of productivity. I cleaned the house from top to toe this morning, restocked the fridge with plenty of fresh veggies and washed all the sheets. I'm going to attack all the things that I keep putting off, like the pile of junk I have accumulating for Ebay. I also spent this morning brainstorming some ways to keep running whilst DH is gone (there is no such thing as a treadmill here) and I've decided to take the girls to the local footy field at dusk and crank out a few sprints with them and turn getting fit into a game!

I didn't train today, but yesterday I tried Amy Bento's Kickbox Extreme. It is more kickbox inspired as opposed to pure kickboxing and I was surprised that I didn't get as much of a workout as I had thought I would. Truthfully my mind started wandering at combo five, so I'm going to give it another shot before I shelve it. I've also got a copy of Kelley Coffey-Meyer's Step Boxing to try.

Tomorrow I'm back on the X with Chest, Shoulders and Triceps. That will be great!

Right or Left or Hair-Brained?

You Are 30% Left Brained, 70% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Sore glutes!

Well the old DOMS has crept up on me from Core Synergistics yesterday. I woke up this morning, rolled over in bed and it was a case of "hello glutes, how the heck did you get so sore?" I wasn't expecting glute DOMS and certainly not of this severity!

This morning I managed to do RPM34 in its entireity! I think that it is one of the best releases Les Mills have put out in a long time - I really like the big gear focus of the time trial and Track Seven is an absolute cracker. I followed up with p90X Stretch X. I must say that I don't enjoy this one as much as Yoga X (I cannot believe I am stringing "yoga" and "enjoy" in the same sentence). I also received Amy Bento's Kickbox Extreme in the post today and I am hoping that the workout is of the intensity that is going to leave me feeling thoroughly pasted! There is nothing worse than getting your hopes up about the intensity of something, only to have it dashed when you actually do the workout.

I'm still leafing through my PN. I am enjoying Berardi's slant on nutrition and timing for superior athletic performance and the way he writes resonates with the way I think about nutrition - that it can be used to improve performance and feelings of well being. I picked up some cashews, walnuts and pecans today as Berardi is keen on nuts. I plan on adding these good fats into my diet a bit more and see what the effect is. It will be interesting to plug some stats into my Leanness Lifestyle journal. Whilst LL is fantastic for body fat loss, I think it's even more potent with more attention paid to nutrition and peak performance.

This post has turned into quite a ramble. No more luck on the accommodation front and DH is off to South Africa on Monday. I think I may be better off staying put for a few weeks and see what develops. I've been given strict instructions to tape "Lost", "Desperate Housewives", "Heroes" and "Battlestar Galactica". I loved the old version of it and I'm really not too sure about Starbuck turning into a female.

BMW

No, I wish I owned one (but unfortunately don't). BMW stands for "Bitch", "Moan" and "Whine" which is what I am tempted to do but have decided against. When I am disappointed I start feeling depressed and when I feel depressed I don't feel like exercising, which makes me feel worse and a really evil cycle starts. BMW comes from the "Body For Life" Women's version by Pamela Peeke.

Today I pushed past my BMW emotions and got the job done with Core Synergistics - this was the first time I have done this one and I'm not really too sure what I think of it. It was really hard in places, using mainly bodyweight, but I think I could have done it with a bit more oomph! I then followed up with a 35 minute run including running all the way up the hill to our house. This morning I also got in a 20 minute swim. It may sound like a lot of exercise, but I'm fairly sedentary at home and as Gollum says, "I needs my PRECIOUS!"

I was lucky enough to score Precision Nutrition on a forum swap and I've been leafing through all of the materials. Berardi seems to like peanut butter (hey, don't we all) and more fats, particularly Omega-3s. It was a good reminder that I can eat even cleaner than I do now. His attention to food prep is excellent and inspired by this I am off to roast some chicken breast.

Ya, another one of those days!

I think this restaurant sums up perfectly how I am feeling today - rather deflated. After lots of negotiation with hubs, it was decided that I would move back home in front of him (we have been trying to get out of Woop Woop for ages). Do you think I can find any reasonably priced accommodation in Brisvegas on a periodic lease. I am loath to rent a four bedroom house, especially as our relocation is hopefully going to be paid for. I had hoped to get a two bedroom furnished apartment so we could leave at relatively short notice. I feel like I am so close to getting back home, but so far away.

Today has been taken up with trying to arrange a move. I got half of RPM 34 in before I was interrupted by the phone and a 70 minute walk. I think tomorrow I will be hitting it harder.

go figure...

You Are Big Bird

Talented, smart, and friendly... you're also one of the sanest people around. You are usually feeling: Happy. From riding a unicycle to writing poetry, you have plenty of hobbies to keep you busy. You are famous for: Being a friend to everyone. Even the grumpiest person gets along with you. How you life your life: Joyfully. "Super. Duper. Flooper."

http://www.blogthings.com/thesesamestreetpersonalityquiz/">The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

I'm still on the self acceptance theme...

I am still obviously on the self acceptance theme - as Tony Horton says, "do your best and forget the rest." It is a good reminder to me to put my best effort into the here and now, rather than looking behind at the past with regret or looking too much towards the future.

Today I did Kenpo X again and followed this up with a 35 minute run. I am finding that suddenly my running has improved. That is a nice feeling! I am trying to pack in the running as DH is going to South Africa for a month to do a Management Development Program. We all looked into going and as the airfares for the three of us were just over $5000, we decided to give it a miss. I cannot believe I will have the full run of the house to myself. This has happened a fair bit in our married life. I really enjoy it at first and then after a week or so, I find myself getting really bored and lonely. I told him that doing this to me in Woop Woop would just about send me off the planet, so if I am still coherent in a month's time, give me a big tick.

I went to morning tea as planned with my prepped meal- it turned out that there were quite a lot of women there who didn't want to load up on cheesecake and gateaux. I can never fathom why employer sponsored events assume we sit at home going for the junk food. My cut up fruit and Latte Slim Secrets bar fitted the bill nicely. Then it was home to a salad of turkey and cut up veggies with raspberry vinegar dressing. I am seriously addicted to raspberry vinegar! I buy the no-sugar variety and sweeten it with a little Splenda. I am going to cook chicken marinated in pesto tonight and team it with tomato puree, veggies and high protein pasta.

That's about all for now :)

I'm in love

With the new RPM 34 release that came in the mail today! It has the best mix of music I have heard for a long time on an RPM release including a great remix of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from Nirvana - a nice chunky baseline to crack the last mountain with.

The pic today comes from an organization called loveyourbody.org. Why not, I say. I am so much more appreciative of my bod after all it's gone through children and post partum related injury wise.

Got in an RPM workout in the Bolthole (RPM 29, I had forgotten about the killer Track 7!), Core Synergistics (no picnic either) and a 25 min swim.

Getting the hang of yoga!

Although this pic of Cathe Friedrich has nothing to do with yoga, it's a little reminder that I am going to do some kickboxing/combat this week. I'm going to add in Bodycombat 29 to my Kenpo and Amy Bento's Kickbox Extreme - I have heard the technique is not so great on that one but I have had enough experience with Combat to modify and change where necessary. This week of p90x is labelled a "recovery week" and I am not going to do much, if any strength training. I will be cracking the cardio, doing kickboxing, RPM, running and fitting in three swim sessions. In fact tomorrow I will get in a swim, bike and run so it will be Triathlon Monday!

Ah, onto the yoga. I think I may actually be getting a little better at this. The best part about the yoga is how good it is making my hips feel afterwards. I have an ease of movement that just wasn't there before. I've also ordered two Yoga DVDs to try out as well.

Eating hasn't been terrific today - I swiped a tablespoon of peanut butter and after reading how calorific that is, decided to ditch my favourite Slim Secret bar (the Latte ones) for today as penance for my trolling actions. I can make the rest of the day great though, and that is the main thing. The weird thing about peanut butter for me is whilst I initially like the taste of it, it doesn't have any real 'wham' or satiety effect with me. Better choices for me out there I believe!

I hate the word "Dieting"

"Desire Creates The Power" Raymond Holliwell

I'm on my soapbox having a little rant this morning. I've decided that I hate the word "dieting" - to me it connotates images of suffering and restriction, of displeasure and a distinct lack of freedom. When I prepare for a competition, I take a completely different tack. I am preparing for a sporting event and I am an athlete. For Figure Competition, which involves presentations at lower body fat levels than normal, this means approaching eating from a preparatory perspective..ie "how can I prepare for this event with joy and do it in a way that does not violate my principles regarding a "dieting scenario". Yes, I do have to manipulate my calorie levels and macronutrient levels to achieve this goal. I'm don't do it by means of displeasure, suffering and restriction. I do it by eating well, eating a wide variety of foods and keeping it interesting. I do it with joy, because as the quote above says, desire really does create the power. Apart from appearing on stage with excellent condition, it also means the road back to your fighting weight is not as bumpy.

I don't know why I even have the urge to write about this today as I'm happily off season but I do know that when it is time to compete again, that this is the approach I will be taking.

Today I thrashed the bike again doing RPM. The temps are relatively mild, but I sweated more than I feel I have my whole life! I'm glad I have another layer of carpet under my bike, because it really got hammered this morning.

Mmm Muffins!

Here they finally are, my protein muffin experiment! These ones turned out better than previous attempts because I didn't modify them so much and didn't beat them to a quivering pulp.

I used:

2 cups self raising flour

1 cup Splenda granules

1/4 cup raw sugar

1/2 cup oats

140g applesauce

6 egg whites

1 cup skim milk

100g raspberries

1 apple grated

3 scoops Redbak Soy Protein (whey protein does not cook well at all, but soy protein can take a bit of a beating)

vanilla essence

cinnamon

Mix wet and dry ingredients and cook in a moderate oven until done (yes, I am hopeless at timing). One muffin comes in at 120cals 19.3g carbs, 8.2g protein, 0.6g fat.

They are certainly a nice morning tea alternative for when you feel like something treat like, but still relatively good for you in the whole scheme of "baked goods".

I just peeped over at Kerryn's blog at her "Six Weird Things You Didn't Know About Me" and I was absolutely amazed to read that she had mutant toes as well. Actually my toenails are mutant - some of my toe nails are kind of concave which makes trimming them difficult and a pedicure visit a slight embarrassment.

I can't say that I can twist my tongue sideways though!

At least you all have one weird thing to associate me with. I'm sure I can come up with others, but they aren't going to sit too well with a picture of muffins.

Training today involved Kenpo X, a 30 minute swim (felt very good today) and a 30minute run. I didn't really feel like Kenpo this morning but I got up and did it anyway. Yeah me! I know it's because the sun is starting to rise a bit later, but I still insist on getting up at 5am anyway.

Caning the bike!

Today was p90x Back and Legs - week 3 - I cannot believe I have only one more workout to go and then the recovery week. It's a shame it's stuck in here, because I feel like I'm just hitting my straps now so I may have to go running a bit more next week.

I also went for my usual morning walk and then came home to give my bike a good thrashing doing RPM33. I was a dripping mess by the time I had finished and had to disinfect and towel the bike down thoroughly afterwards.

I decided it was time to initiate my Woop Woop beauty regime and went for a couple of rounds with the old Waxeeze. I reckon I could have started reforesting the Amazon by the time I had finished. A coat of aloe vera from the fridge and voila, "maintained" for another month. I was reading an interesting post over at a forum I frequent on how much money they spent on their personal grooming per month. I spend the most on my hair and after that, I'm a strictly do-it-yourself kinda gal - after all I would rather spend my money on a Polar Heart Rate Monitor than a facial :)

arrgh!

Tackled the dreaded "Yoga X" this morning which was hard work. I am still pretty woeful at most of the poses but slowly getting much better. It was probably a good day to do yoga as my glutes have been spasming today for no apparent reason. I've done a bit of Muscle Energy Technique on both my glutes and hip flexors to encourage them to relax and it's partially done the job. I am now headed to the local pool for a 30 minute swim whilst Miss G has her swimming lesson. That will help loosen up my hips as well.

I think today's caption is very appropriate - there are things going on in the background which really make me feel exactly that.

Nutrition has been pretty good, though I'm still trying to dream up what to cook for dinner. Sometimes I get really sick of cooking dinner. I have some chicken breast and stir fry vegetables, though am leaning towards making a chicken taco dish - kids love Mexican and I can prepare it so I miss out on the taco part, unless I use corn enchiladas which don't bother the old tummy too much.

Bolder shoulders!

Today was Week 3, Day 3 - shoulders and arms - definitely my favourite workout of the current p90x bunch! I upped my weights again for shoulders - I'm doing pretty well despite the high volume, which is not my forte and I'm loving how pumped up my biceps feel afterwards. I followed this up with a 15 minute run.

I've had Miss S home from school today with a neck strain, so it's 100km down a bumpy road (she will love that!) to the physio. She really loves making things so we made fruitsalad and inspired by KEK, we made protein enriched raspberry and apple muffins. I'll post a pic later on and give the exact ratios. I added in Soy Fibre as well which I've never tried before. Miss S wondered why protein powder was going into the recipe as well as several egg whites. They taste quite nice, a little chewy - our biggest mistake was not to spray the muffin papers because a lot of the muffins stuck it it. Oh well!

The kangaroo lasagna turned out really well - I used 4 Vetta large lasagna sheets, onion, garlic, Dolmio Smooth Bolognese sauce, low fat ricotta cheese (which I spread onto the lasagna sheets rather than bechamel sauce) and for the topping - half a cup of low fat mozzarella and 250ml skim milk mixed with 2 tbsp flour to thicken. Oh, I forgot - 500g kangaroo mince! The stats are 305cals 28.5 carbs 32g protein and 7g fat.

Plyo Princess

Today is Week 3, Day 2 of p90x, which meant Plyo X this morning. Every time I do this workout, I find it harder! Maybe that is because I am paying more attention to technique, squatting deeper and jumping higher. All I know is that I can feel my heart rate going through the roof after a run through of these sequences. It was a good workout this morning.

Which brings me to the point that I haven't seen the inside of a gym since early January. It has been a good experience doing everything at home in the Bolthole or lounge room depending of course on the workout. I received my copy of American Oxygen in the post yesterday and there was a great story on Valerie Waughaman who won the IFBB Colorado Pro over Jenny Lynn. Waughaman does very little work with dumbbells or machines, preferring to use bands, balls and the like. I found it inspirational that she developed such a wonderful physique in such an innovative way.

The kangaroo burgers turned out well, though a bit crumbly. The best bit about kangaroo is that it is not only tasty, it's really filling. My other 500g of meat is being made into 'roo lasagna this afternoon!

For Em

I'm sure that this will be Em's new bub as a true example of her mother's fab lifestyle! I am hoping that Em is cuddling that little one right now. Pregnancy and birth is such an amazing journey - there are highs and lows of the whole parenting adventure, but it is all worth it (I think!) . Miss S is melting my heart at the moment - she skips into school with these two gorgeous blond plaits and Miss G goes to kindy with her boots on the wrong way. It is very sweet.

I'm also continuing with the push up theme as it is now Week 3 of the "x" - Chest and Back - I increased my numbers for all of the push ups though the Diamond PushUps I am having trouble mastering. I backed this up with a 15 minute run and 4 x 30sec sprints and will swim laps at the pool a little bit later.

I've defrosted some kangaroo mince I've had sitting in the freezer for months. The roo isn't in the stew, but it will be made into burgers to grill for dinner tonight!

Rest and Recovery

I've woken up this morning to super ab DOMs and have decided to take a day off. I find that I always have to take at least one day off a week to fully recover from all of the hard work I am doing and I look forward to my rest days because I find it really restorative to sleep in, slop around the house and generally pretend I am on holidays!

This morning I slept in until 7.30am and have spent the morning catching up on paperwork. Then it's off to do the housework. Nothing much going on in my universe today and that is the way I like it :)

Yeah!

Another great set of workouts this morning. First up was Kenpo X - after reading Lesley's blog, I really looked hard at background exerciser, Wes, and really pushed the technique. It made the workout harder and more effective. I then went for my usual morning walk and dropped Miss S and Miss G off at school and kindy respectively and decided despite TOM starting to give a Spinervals DVD a shot, so I did the DVD in the picture. It's all technique work interspersed with core work on the ball. I really threw everything at it and really enjoyed it. Now I am sitting here in a bath of my very own endorphins!

When I have days where I work out really hard, I feel really proud of myself up here in the middle of f****** nowhere. I definitely don't have the "in season" figure look going on anymore, but I'm looking strong and athletic despite the increased body fat. It's been really therapeutic to do all of this different training and it will be interesting to see the effects in October or November, should I compete, which is probably highly likely with all the motivation pouring out of everyone else's blogs!

Somebody stop me

Don't you just love my cute little squatting man - it's amazing how well bands and balls can work when you don't have lots of iron to pump!

Today's workout was p90x - Legs and Back which involved wall squats (ack!) followed by a 25minute run. It was pretty hot and sticky but it felt really good. Miss G has another swimming lesson today so it is another opportunity to smack some laps out at the pool.

I'm off to prep some vegetables. I am clueless about what is on the table for dinner tonight, but I do know this - vegetables will be involved!

More yoga

Today's workout was Yoga X (which I am slightly better at today, but not much) and RPM 33 - love this release especially Track 5. Looks like I may also get some laps at the pool in this afternoon, so today will be fruitful in terms of working out.

My assignment today is to design Miss G's Kindy Portfolio. Sometimes I think the homework that gets sent home is sent to test us parents, not the kids!

I am having cravings for vegetables - probably because the selection of veggies in Woop Woop is so pathetic, I'd give anything to see some baby bok choy or choy sum or even some fresh herbs. I have decided that I am going to have veggies with every meal this week except for breakfast. Let the veggie challenge begin!

Thorough Pasting!

Week 2, Day 3 - p90x - Shoulders and Arms. I think that this is one of the most enjoyable DVDs of the entire series and after getting off to a creaky start (I get up at 5am and have to spend at least 15 minutes staring into space before I can begin), I really caned it! I was working so hard that I forgot that I was standing in front of the TV doing a fitness DVD - instead I was challenging myself to how many chair tricep dips I could nail in 45 seconds and trying to up my weight on the "Cohen curls". Then I followed this up with another walk, going via the local newsagent to pick up the Sunday papers.

I opened up the paper to read the news that Harry Potter - Book Seven is going to be released on July 21st. I am really hoping that J.K.Rowling does not kill off Harry. It would be nice to end the series on a triumphant note.

Back to the housework now - Sunday is my day for doing the major cleaning jobs - more time for training during the week. I'm also going to try making tuna burgers..should be fun!

Jump to it!

Plyo X this morning and it was killer. I don't know why it felt harder than the first time - maybe it was because I knew what to expect. Upper body weights tomorrow. I still have DOMS from my push-pull session!

Tonight I am musing about things that I just don't understand. Before you all wonder what deep and meaningful snippet I come up with, I am actually thinking of why sleepwear manufacturers think that we women like wearing nightshirts with images of Tweety, Sylvester and Garfield on them. It seems to be a phenomenon everywhere I look for a decent pair of PJs. If I see Betty Boop again, I think I am going to scream.

My current choice of bedwear? A T-Shirt from my husband's employ given to me that says "Dragon Slayer" - need we say any more?

Back Workout!

Back into Week Two of p90x with Back and Chest today. I am pleased to say that I really "brought it" this morning and my heart rate was getting up there doing multiple rounds of pull ups and push ups. Basic, but really effective!

Unfortunately I locked myself out of the house today and spent most of Miss G's precious Kindy time sorting out how to get back inside the house, rather than doing my cardio! Oh well, I have to chalk that one up to a bit of bad luck. I went to the local coffee place and shouted myself a hot chocolate instead. Of course made with skim milk and chocolate granules it was not like one of those superb hot chocolates that come from Koko Black, but it hit the spot! It's cold, wet and rainy here - a welcome change from the 40+ temperatures which are commonplace in February. In fact I'm thinking TOM must be around the corner as I'm craving chocolate and coffee!

Tomorrow's plan involves Plyo X and probably a nice long walk if the weather has cleared. Sunday will be Shoulders and Arms and then next week with Miss G at Kindy for 3 days per week, I can finally start upping the ante on the cardio again. It's always a bit of a juggling act with small children in the house, but keeping fit is a non negotiable sanity saver for me!