Girl gets nothing done!

Agggh, today I am wondering why I named my blog "Girlgetsitdone" because it feels like over the past day or two I have done nothing at all.

On Friday I came down with a heavy cold and yesterday I suffered a cracker of a migraine. I've been relatively migraine free this year but this was a doozy. Today I have nursed a post migrainous sore head and continued to work through this cold.

DH decided to take us out for lunch at the local pub. I think I had the worst steak I've ever encountered in my life and when I asked for steamed vegetables on the side, the waitress told me that they'd never been asked for vegetables before and that they didn't have any. Oh well, small changes add up :)

So now I'm feeling headachey, fat, sinusey and altogether of unpleasant disposition. I'd sure be a hot date :)

On a much brighter note I am looking forward to hearing about how Di, Alicia, Deb and Tracey rock the INBA show in Brisbane today...you go girls!

Moving at the speed of light.

Now you see me....

Now you don't!

Just had the news we may be being packed up early as next Thursday.

Stay tuned :)

Okaaaaayyyyy ...here's one for Rae!

I read on an American health and fitness forum about the release of "Diet Coke Plus" which is fortified with vitamins and minerals.



According to the nutritional label, Diet Coke Plus includes 25% of the recommended daily allowance of niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 as well as 15% of the RDA for magnesium and zinc in each 12-ounce serving. It is sweetened with an aspartame/ACE-K blend that has become the industry norm for just about every diet drink nowadays.Attempting to get a leg up on their primary competition--Pepsi-Cola North America--as that company is set to release their own diet "energy" drink called Diet Pepsi MAX in June 2007, Coca-Cola North America is seeking to provide their loyal consumer base with a diet soda product that will serve as a supplement to their healthy diet, according to Coke's senior VP Katie Bayne.“Consumers, including Diet Coke drinkers, are increasingly looking for more beverage options, and we wanted to offer them the convenience of a calorie-free beverage that is a good source of several essential vitamins and minerals, and one that delivers on the great taste that they have come to expect from us,” she said.


All I can say folks, be very afraid, very afraid :)

Eeewwww.

Smacked it!

I did Cathe's Cardio Fusion this morning which is a delightful blend of Bodymax 2, Drill Max and Low Impact circuit. - my heart rate got as high as 166 this morning and I pushed it as hard as I could. I think this is one of Cathe's best compilations. I also managed a walk this morning.

I've spent the better part of today writing programs and doing assessments. I'm enjoying it very much. I really enjoy being able to give feedback and encouragement and I love watching people "transforming". I just wish that I had done it sooner.

I am really starting to get excited about moving back home. I fly to Brisbane on Monday to find some rental accommodation. I hope we find something quickly. That will mean I can sneak in a few RPM classes if I'm lucky!

Stop the press!

Kerryn ( www.keksbflthing.blogspot.com ) and I are in print this month, sharing our philosophy about stick thin models and the BMI. Check us out on page 56 of Women's Health and Fitness, which is out at all good newsagents now :)

What fun!

I hope everyone has a great Anzac Day. I think it is wonderful that we celebrate this day and remember all of those who fought for our wonderful country.

Flat out!

Arrrgh I always feel like I get super busy when I move - it's like a big truck starting to rumble slowly downhill. You get on the slope and it's like...whoa! Things are moving fast. I love this expression, even though I don't drink as such. I'm putting it in for Lesley, because it is so hilariously Aussie.

I am experiencing super DOMS again from Cathe's Chest and Tricep workout and this morning I tried the original Bodymax workout from the late 90s. I had heard that it is harder than Body max 2. It took awhile to get going but once it did, it was awesome. Despite being filmed some time ago, it's aged fairly gracefully. It is amazing how workout fashions change! It's also proof positive how you get better as you get older in the muscularity department. Don't get me wrong, Cathe looks great, but I think she looks even better these days! That's why I admire all the Master's women who compete - they are most definitely my favourite division. Not long to go until I'm in that category!

I also got in an hour's walk this morning, which was great to clear my mind. Usually I learn my Les Mills choreo when I go on these walks and because we are due for launches as soon as I get back, I'm going to keep walking! I'm hoping to squeeze in some back and shoulder work this afternoon.

Thanks for all the lovely comments about my little "diet" rant. The more I work with people, the more it's becoming obvious to me how destructive the whole scenario can be and I want to be a good role model for everyone I come into contact with.

"Love with Limits"

Caution: "Dieting" rant ahead!

Rae wrote a terrific post last week about her take on the Figure lifestyle and I am often asked what makes my preparation different and what my approach to eating is, what do I eat and how often do I eat?

For a start, I hate the word "diet" with a passion. "Diet" to me conjures up images of restriction, boredom, guilt and displeasure. Eating the same thing day in day out because that is what you've been told to eat by your "trainer" is a "diet". Living by rules such as no carbs after 3pm constitutes the "diet" mentality. Pretty stupid really if you train at night. No eating after 7pm - not really practical if you're a shift worker and you don't go to bed until midnight.

Basically what I'm trying to say is that "dieters" make up these rules that make no scientific sense and try to create an artificial set of parameters by which to live by. Sorry kids, but that sort of behaviour comes back to bite you on the butt. Why, because after awhile you can feel both emotionally and physically deprived.

It has been shown in many studies that people who diet tend to lose their innate ability to naturally regulate their food intake - this is called "counter regulation".

In order to be successful and stay lean in the long term it is important to recognize that

1) All foods are morally neutral. There is no such thing as "naughty food", except maybe for Rae's Meat Pie Pizza (only because it looks terrible). You can choose to eat it IF you want it, but do you really feel like it?

2) You will be more hungry on some days and less hungry on others and this fluctuates with your menstrual cycle (if you're a woman). Better to apply the 200 calorie, not 2000 calorie rule and have a little extra. Your body just may be trying to tell you something.

3) It is natural to overeat on occasion - the food looks good or it's a celebration or you're stressed out, tired etc. It's happened before and it will happen again ...guaranteed. Knowing this reduces the appeal of a "binge".

What does this mean for someone wanting to become lean for life? It doesn't mean running around stuffing yourself with abandon or scarfing down every junk food known to man. It means following a few nutritional basics and listening to your body - enjoying a nice restaurant meal every now and again without wondering what the macronutrient breakdown is and enjoying what you eat. I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and lean sources of protein. I love spice and lots of flavour. I try new recipes all the time, even during comp prep and I keep my palate happy! Every now and again I have a nice dessert. The "secret" is all about balance.

For example I've tried two new recipes in the past three days. One was red curry chicken burgers with salad and baby potatoes. (red curry paste, onions, egg, breadcrumbs, chicken breast mince) and tonight I'm trying a beef stirfry with baby corn, snow peas, purple cabbage and red capsicum, plenty of ginger and garlic too. Nothing like a bit of colour to brighten your day.

My other thought of the day: Enjoy the journey - sure the end is the icing on the cake, but all the training in between is an awful lot of fun.

You know you are moving when...

You know you are moving when you are trying to get rid of everything in the fridge! I believe it's a common phenomenon to have lots of bottles of various bits and pieces in the fridge, a quarter full - not enough to throw away, but a quantity that might be "useful". DH asked me what was for dinner today. According to what is left in the fridge he is looking at artichokes and dill pickles on toast with tandoori paste, followed by an anchovy and mustard pickle chaser. It was little wonder then he mumbled some excuse about being late and not being around for dinner...

Exercise wise, I got up early and went for a walk and now I'm going to do my beloved RPM and Cathe's Gym Style Chest and Triceps.

It's going to be a huggggeee week!

Weekend duties

Not much to report in terms of training today. Time for a rest day - think I needed it. Tomorrow I'll hit it hard again. I worked this morning at the pharmacy and at home this afternoon. I'm tired, but happy! Now if only I had my own personal maid to sort out the laundry...lol

Best of luck girls!

To Deb, Alicia and Tracey,

Hope you really enjoy the Female Fusion Contest tomorrow! I'm cheering you on from Woop Woop!

Liz ;)

The best type of dinner

This is an example of what I call "the best type of dinner". Why? Because it takes 10 minutes to prepare and is full of veggies and lean protein. Who said you have to slave for hours to eat well (though if anyone's offering, I'm up for it!).

This was simply 100g cooked chicken breast, 1 tablespoon of honey soy marinade, 1/2 large packet stir fry vegetables, 40g glass noodles and a sprinkle of almonds on top. Absolutely delicious! It is really wonderful when you find such easy ways of preparing food that not only tastes good, but is good for you and you don't have to think too hard.

Today I've been really busy with new client's programs, questionnaires and so forth. I have been overwhelmed by the positive response to the site and want to thank everyone for their support.

If anyone missed it, the site is www.thefitnesssolution.com.au

Have a wonderful weekend.

Fun with the kids

First photo is of Miss S's "Crazy Hair Day". I am seriously dreadful at doing hair, which explains why I keep mine so short, but I was really proud of my efforts.

Second photo was taken by Miss S making me and Miss G "cry". I don't know how successful that was but the girls thought this photo was hilarious.

Miss S helped me work out with Cathe the other day. She was using the resistance band and suddenly she stopped and asked me very seriously, "is crying during this workout an option, Mum?". My resistance band nearly ended up over on the other side of the lounge room.

She is turning from my baby into a proper little girl. She was discussing her friend situation at school, how Friend A was no longer mates with Friend B... "They're not friends anymore, it's a break up, OK?"

I had trouble trying not to laugh!

This morning I went for a 50min walk and did 3/4 of Hardcore Extreme: Hi - Low Intervals. It's amazing that even the low impact blasts get my heart rate into the 160s. My latest game is trying to touch the roof on all the jumps :)

Where I'm at training wise

A few people have asked me where I'm at training wise. At the moment, I'm simply having a lot of fun with my training. I've been spending a fair bit of time building my aerobic base cycling as I will be placing a lot of demand on it teaching RPM when I get back home. When I'm up there on stage I really try and give each class my all, so my participants can see what level they need to work towards and so I also have the energy to coach the class and focus on them, rather than worrying that I'm going to run out of gas.

As I have had no access to a gym, I've been keeping my muscles active with DVDs from Cathe and Amy Bento. I often add my own twists in, like a BOSU, balance disc or medicine ball to increase the intensity and to keep my muscles guessing. I've really been enjoying doing these workouts and both Cathe and Amy are very encouraging and motivating.

I have also been getting my heart rate up with some running and some step.

The "down time" I've had has been really restorative to me. I would like to add some more muscle but will wait until life smooths out for me after the move...and then who knows?

Question and Answers Part Deux

Hann writes: How much training do you need to do to lose weight?

My take on it:

That depends on a number of different variables. The aim of the game is to lose body fat and for most of us, but not all, there is usually a corresponding decrease in scale weight.

1. What your nutrition and caloric intake looks like. In the simplest of terms, if you eat crap, you look like crap! This does not mean you must forgo "sometimes" foods for the rest of your life but you do have to put it into perspective and realize that "sometimes" really means just that. I'm asked, how many calories do I need to consume to lose weight? That really depends also. I'd prefer to see someone being very active and consuming more rather than going the starvation route. If body fat loss is your goal, aim for no more than half a kilo (or a pound for my American friends) per week loss.

2. Your level of fitness to begin with. Fit bodies utilize fat better than unfit bodies (see post below)

3. How hard you train. You need to train hard enough so that your muscles really do need to recover. There is a high metabolic cost associated with recovery. In every day terms, when you train, you need to do it with intention, and at a level congruent with your current fitness levels etc. You should be looking for progression and improvement every few training sessions.

4. What type of training you do. Neglect strength training at your peril! Most women seem to do best with a 60: 40 cardio/strength training split. Strength training raises your metabolism if you add lean muscle to your frame and there is a high metabolic cost in recovering from hard sessions. Again, when you train, do it with intention! You "become" how you train, so don't faff around!

5. In terms of how long, this depends on your goals. Endurance athletes obviously need to train with longer distances in mind. If body fat loss is your goal, you are best off thinking about quality over quantity. A 30 minute focused workout is better than 60 minutes of wandering around the gym.

Let me know if that sheds any light.

"I train like a girl" Figure fashionistas unite!

I discovered these great tees on Mary Bell's ( a WNBF Figure Pro) site and decided that I am going to purchase one of these. Mary is actually donating the proceeds of the sale of these T Shirts to a charity in the US to prevent the abuse of children. The sizes run small, medium and large and I emailed Mary about the fit of these - she thinks they run pretty true to size. She's 5'8, 147 pounds and wears a medium. The cost is 20.00 US dollars + shipping. I just thought I would put it out there in case anyone else might be interested. That way we save on shipping to Australia. I think it would be a great addition to our "chicken or chocolate" TShirts. If you want a shirt, email me at liz@thefitnesssolution.com.au They also come in grey.

Clouds are Parting!

Clouds are parting, Miss G is feeling so much better, even though I had a "midnight visit" from her. I just did not have the energy to put her back into her own bed. She's usually pretty good about staying in her bed, but when she is sick then I have the pleasure of being kicked in the kidneys for a few days (ie she sleeps with DH and I). I am so relieved she is feeling better.

This meant I have got some workouts into today. Firstly it was Bodymax2 - the "Scrambled Eggs" premix. I absolutely love this premix - it is a step combination - cardio segment, followed by a cardio blast bringing the heart rate up towards anaerobic threshold , then a lower body blast with a variety of weights. My max HR for the workout was 166 and the average for the whole 80 minutes was 150. Who says you can't work hard with a Fitness DVD? Bodymax 2 also has a heavy upper body weights segment (as seen above) which I haven't used (I've just been pasting my lower body )

Then it was 40 minutes of the most intense back and shoulder training I could muster!

Rest of the day looks as if it is going to be busy, busy busy with paperwork and cleaning. Ugh!

Question and Answers

I received an email from a reader asking me about high intensity interval training (HIIT) and its effectiveness in fat loss.

"The question I would like to ask is why you feel HIIT or interval training is more effective than steady training as you are probably burning more calories in say 50 mins of steady running opposed to 30 mins of the previous running?"

Here is my reply:
"To answer your question, it depends on what your goals are. If it is loss of body fat, you are best approaching it like this:

1) build an aerobic base to prepare your muscles for the demands of heavier training
2) As well as some base training, incorporate some high intensity interval training into your workouts. As well as using nearly the same amount of calories, it is what happens AFTER these workouts that is more important. There is a phenomenon called EPOC (Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption) that occurs which keeps our metabolisms running higher for a few hours afterwards depending on the intensity. Also interval training raises anaerobic threshold, the point where the body stops relying on the aerobic energy system (which uses oxygen) and starts relying on the anaerobic energy system. Put simply, go too much past this point and you simply run out of gas.
Raising anaerobic threshold does two things - gives you a greater heart rate range in which you can work out hard (and thus use more calories) and b) causes changes in our muscles at a metabolic level which encourages our bodies to utilize fat (converted into carbohydrate) during rest and whilst exercising. An unfit individual simply doesn't do this.

I hope this doesn't sound too simplistic, but it is really what happens when we are recovering with both strength training and aerobic exercise that makes a difference.

Hope that sheds some light on the subject."

To sum up, especially in endurance sports (my correspondent is a keen runner), both forms of training have their place in the "big" picture.

Dance of Joy!

Ooh yeah baby, I am doing the dance of joy because the relocation process is starting to creak into motion. I am so happy to be going home! I have learnt a lot from being out here, what drives me, what makes me happy and how to be innovative!

Poor Miss G is still unwell. Despite this I managed to sneak off and do Cathe Gym Styles Chest and Triceps - the DOMS I complained about last week lasted until Saturday, so it feels like my triceps have only had a day of respite! I also got in 45 minutes of Spinervals Aero base builder on the bike.

Speaking of aerobic work, I am noticing from many proponents of losing fat fast that there is no place for long slow aerobic work, HIIT is the "way to go". I don't think these people are looking at the value of aerobic training to condition and prepare the musculoskeletal system for hard work. Would I recommend HIIT to a rank beginner who was desperate to lose body fat? Probably not, a) I don't want the client injured and b) I want the client to work up to what hard work should feel like. Everything is based on a continuum of progression, not what the "flavour of the day is". That said, the power of interval training can be profound and is maximized by beginning with a good aerobic base.

I could philosophize all day, but I promised the girls we would make muffins. Miss S loves "cooking" and she will happily chop up vegetables, fruit and all sorts of things as well as make the sweet stuff. I could see her being a chef one day!

Rolling with the punches

It's been one of those weekends where life just hasn't fallen into place the way that I would have liked. It started on Friday when I picked up my car from the mechanic's - I drove it home no problems, but when I pulled into the driveway it made this horrible grinding sound - then all of a sudden I couldn't get it into gear - apparently the part they replaced for me originally disintegrated - I have never heard of something like this happening before! DH told me that apparently they weren't "well regarded" in the town. I'm just the biggest sucker. Anyway, they towed the car away and promised to deliver it home on Saturday. This, of course, didn't happen. I didn't stress about it too much but Miss G has been unwell. I decided to check out her throat and met possibly the worst case of tonsillitis I have ever seen. We had no sleep last night.

Then I decided to call the local hospital to try and get some antibiotics for Miss G. I came down at the time they requested and I met a very frazzled lady in the car park. She was the locum doctor who had been flown in. I introduced myself as the locum pharmacist and she told me that she was majorly stressed out because she had to deliver a premature baby, that they'd had to get the Royal Flying Doctors in to airlift Mum and bub to Brisbane and that her background was not in Obstetrics, rather she is an oncology registrar. I felt so sorry for her and feel angry that resident doctors are sent out to these postings, having to handle these situations to the best of their experience which can be limited depending on where they are in their grad rotations. She was such a nice lady and I hope everyone got away safe and sound. Anyway I organized some penicillin for Miss G, rang the pharmacist owner at home and have started her on it. One of her tonsils is so large it is almost taking up her entire throat! It looks like a day of icecream for her.

Exercise wise for me it has been close to nada. I walked the long way to work yesterday (40 minutes) but have done nothing today. I couldn't think about getting up at 5.30am when I had finally got Miss G off at 4.30am. I love being organized and hate these little glitches - but that is all part of life. The main thing is that I no longer raid the fridge for solace.

Almost Up and Running!

Thanks to everyone for the support for my business venture. I cannot tell you how positive everyone has been and very encouraging. It's a big risk for me!

Anyway, the site is www.thefitnesssolution.com.au and I can process orders straightaway, for those who want to give Cathe et. al a go. I still have to iron out a few kinks, but I am getting there.

Day off!

Scheduled rest day! Rest and recreation, right? Not running around after two kids, though I'm glad I pencilled in a day off in the middle of the week so I can devote more time to them. We've been swimming, done craft, baking (ugh!!) and right now I'm letting them watch ABC Kids.

I've spent the day catching up on all sorts of bits and pieces and have been working on the website, trying to convey my vision without sounding like I have verbal diarrhoea. It's a real gift to be succinct and meaningful at the same time.

It's Coming, it's coming!

Lots of good things are coming my way in the next few weeks.

Firstly, my move back to Brisbane!

Secondly, I have nearly finished building my own website. I have decided to import high quality advanced fitness DVDs into Australia, including Cathe Friedrich. As far as I am aware, I am the sole Australian distributor for her product. I "met" Cathe online in her Pregnancy forum when we were both pregnant with our second children five years ago. I bought her "Intensity Series" back in 2002 and was so impressed with the quality and versatility of the workouts, I have never looked back. I used the DVDs post partum for those times when I couldn't go to the gym and over the years I have used a lot of Cathe's lower body DVDs in my Figure Prep for my leg training. The weight training DVDs have been excellent to use whilst I don't have any gym access and very effective. I am hoping to have the site operational by the end of the week and I will post details here.

I will also be offering online training and lifestyle coaching, including preparation for sporting events such as marathon, triathlon, cycling events and of course Figure conditioning and preparation.

I'm quite excited to be starting this project. I know I have mentioned a while back my desire to be involved more in the coaching and preparation side of things, rather than competing and this is the perfect platform for me.

Today's workout was a 65 minute walk and Cathe's LowMax. This is a low impact high intensity step workout with leg drills. I used the leg drills (blasts) when training my legs for the Qld Titles last year.

Anyway I must go and get ready for lunch, the girls are having their friends around and I have to go and make some sandwiches. Later!

Holy DOMS, Batman!

Oh dear, I have one of the most severe cases of DOMS I've experienced in a long time. Firstly I did Cathe's "Legs and Glutes" on Sunday, followed by Cathe's "Gym Style: Chest and Triceps" yesterday and "Gym Styles: Back, Shoulders, Biceps" today. The Gym Style DVDs are similar to a regular weight training regime - eg 3 sets of 12-16 reps at varying speeds for each set. I think it's the volume that did me in, not to mention the shorter than usual rest periods.

The DOMS in my legs meant that a run was out of the question, so I did a 60 minute walk and one set of Spinervals Aerobase builder (4 sets of 5 min efforts) on the bike. Fitting all of this activity around the kids being on school holidays is not the easiest! I am having a friend over for lunch tomorrow and her three girls are coming too. My girls will think this is the greatest. There is not much to do for entertainment in Woop Woop, but I'm feeling cheered by the prospect that a moving date is approaching!

In other weekend activities I finally managed to see "Borat" - funny, yet scary :) and "Kenny" - the award winning film about a Port-a-Loo cleaner which was surprisingly good.

Legs and Glutes

Oh, yowsa indeedy! Easter Sunday has seen me tackle Cathe's Legs and Glutes and my glutes were absolutely screaming! I added a run to this as well. I don't use a lot of weight, rather I focus on the actual movement, being as precise as possible. It is amazing how effective you can be training your lower body without using a lot of equipment or heavy weights. Though they have their place of course.

Yesterday I did RPM 28 and had a nice long walk and the combination of these two workouts is giving me a nice steady progression of DOMS.

Today's pic is of Amy Bento's All Pump Extreme which is hitting my mailbox any day now. Amy has an amazing number of "premixes" in her workouts, which means I am getting 6 or 7 different workouts for my $ which is good value. I have "met" Amy via phone and she radiates real energy when she talks about her filming projects. It is amazing what workouts are out there when you dig around enough.

I have enjoyed a couple of solid Easter Eggs with DH and the girls. I think if I hadn't indulged I would have some huge "sense of entitlement" feelings happening. Now I have had my chocolate fix and feel happily satisfied.

I hope everyone has a safe and blessed Easter!

The Birds

I went running with about 300 cockatoos this morning. I don't know why this is happening, but huge groups of cockatoos are congregating around Woop Woop and are making an unholy racket. They have only been around for a week or so but it is quite disconcerting running along and having them flying around you squawking madly. Plus there is the poo factor. I have missed that so far, but you never know, that is a hazard of running outside.

I also did Cathe's Push Pull Upper Body Premix this morning. This is an awesome workout. I increased a lot of the weights this morning and actually dropped out some of the reps for something a little bit different. I swear that Cathe is obsessed by biceps and triceps. Mine are on fire every time and I'm pleased to say I did three sets of inverted pike shoulder presses no problem today.

Yesterday was a rest day however. I woke up with a really sore throat and decided it would be prudent to take a day off. Today I am feeling much better. I am amazed at how quickly I recovered as I was feeling totally lousy yesterday! I also did my Polar Fitness Test this morning, returning a VO2max (note this is not a true value - if you've ever done a proper VO2 max in a lab you will understand why!) of 57ml/kg/min! My lab tested value was 47ml/kg/min - but that was ten years ago when I had access to doing these things. However, it is higher than my last reading under similar conditions so I am confident that I have improved.

Whew, this is a long post for Good Friday. No meat today - instead we are having salmon. I think times have changed where fish is more of a delicacy these days than most meat. Hardly a sacrifice.

I could eat....

the a*se out of a rhino today!

Probably due to smashing the bike for 90 minutes today - all in my aerobic endurance zone ;) This is why I try do the minimum amount of cardio to achieve results when I'm in Figure Action. I'm pretty sure I'm glycogen depleted as all I've been craving today is carbs and lots of them. That's why I'm having apple and raspberry crisp for my weekly splurge meal tonight. Lots of oats and the sweetness of apples and icecream! Mmmmm, maybe I should have been a food writer!

It's been a pretty busy day with DH home frantically trying to finish his Stellenbosch assignment. I've been providing the necessary spousal support to get through the pain eg lunches, drinks etc.

I think I am looking forward to his assignments being over more than he is!

sandwiches

I have just been to my daughter's school as her class ran a "restaurant", serving us for lunch. I got two pieces of wholemeal bread with fake ham, fake cheese, one slice of tomato and a scrap of lettuce slapped together. Miss S was extremely proud of herself. I could not say "no" to her in front of her classmates so I ate it and told her that it was the best sandwich ever. However my gut, which doesn't like a lot of gluten, is churning wildly now with discomfort. They weren't wrong when it was said that parenting can cause you a lot of pain. I just didn't expect it like this!

I got in a nice long walk this morning and did Kick Punch and Crunch - had to do the high intensity cardio section twice to keep my HR up. I will have to see what P90x (Kenpo X ) does to it. I really love Cathe's drills in this one though. Eating, apart from my sandwich and blueberry muffin for "dessert" has been pretty spot on. Now I am off for afternoon tea with one of Sarah's classmates. I work for her DH in the pharmacy. Everyone knows everyone else here - I definitely worry about inbreeding...

Quickie Update

Workout this morning: RPM 33 and Cathe's Supersets - Upper Body Premix 45 mins. I think Cathe's Bicep workout this morning nearly made me cry. It's been a long time since I've done this workout and I suffered. I enjoyed RPM and am going to focus this month on getting my CV fitness up in preparation for those RPM classes I'll be teaching when I get home.

I've just been trying to draw up a rough timeline as how to time the move best. The sooner the better I say, but poor DH is up to his neck in work and a few weeks extra here may be sanity saving for him, so we will work it out.

New Month!

Got stuck into Cathe's Butts and Guts this morning and I am feeling some rather pleasant DOMS in my glute medius area. Much much harder second time around know that I know what's coming. Deadlifts and low lunges were killer, but I still enjoyed it.

I am formulating a plan - to get home efficiently and to remove a lot of clutter. I think that getting rid of excess stuff is a huge relief and I've been made more aware of clutter since my grandmother passed away about fifteen years ago. She was not a hoarder by any means, but it was hard knowing what to do with a lot of her stuff. Therefore I have decided that a charity may benefit more from the stuff I am not using.

I chose this pic of Mary Elizabeth Lado to remind me that 1) working my lazy glutes is a good thing and 2) getting my vastus medialis to fire more will help my knee pain. She has great glutes and quads! I love the suit my mate Berns has designed for her - she looks amazing - like a figure athlete but not humunguous as some of the American competitors seem to be going these days.