NH Workout Rundown

I have officially completed all NH workouts! And boy am I glad they are over!!! Only family fun time now!!!

Here is the rundown:

Saturday: Resistance Training and 30 minutes on the elliptical.
Sunday: Run with my sister-in-law.

Saturday my sister, Marina, did my workout with me and it totally made it SO much better!!! She counted for most of the exercises which made it easier for me to focus on the pain... :) Here is the breakdown:

Resistance Training: Squats x 3s x 30r @ Body Weight (do the first 10 at 5
seconds up/5 seconds down, next 10 at 3 seconds up/3 seconds down, final 10
up/down fast as you can. That's one set)
Triple Crunches x 3s x 15r (hands
above your head, bend your knees and bring your feet off the ground, crunch up
to the left side, then the middle, the right side of your legs. That counts as
one rep. Let your hands touch your legs)
Lateral Step-ups x 3s x 15r @
bodyweight (go up sideways on a sturdy chair or something similar. Come down as
slow as possible and go right back up)
Lying Leg Raise Stages x 3s 12r
(bring your legs straight up 90 degrees, lower them about a quarter of the way
to the floor and stop, count 5 Mississippi's, lower another quarter and repeat
until your legs are just above the ground and come straight back up. that counts
as 1 rep)
Lunge to Balance x 3s x 15r @ bodyweight (instead of coming up and
putting both feet together, bring your leg straight up into a high knee so that
you are standing on one leg, then move that leg out and continue to lunge)
Supermans x 3s x 15r

Cardio: 30 min Elliptical / maybe run outside (3 min Z2, 2 min Z3, 2
min Z4, 3 min Z1, repeat)

I did the cardio on Marina's brand new elliptical machine. It is pretty sweet! Probably the fanciest one I've seen outside of a gym. It has a fan that blows cold air on you. It is AWESOME.

Sunday, my sister-in-law ran with me. We set out for 4 miles. I drank coffee before we went. I have since learned that that is not a good idea. It is in fact a very, very bad idea. I came back to the house in a frantic state 3.57 miles in. Good enough for me. :) Lisa's awesome GPS watch gave us pace per mile!!!

1st-10:59
2nd-11:12
3rd-11:51

This is MUCH faster than I normally go, so I am super impressed!!! I think I am typically a 12 minute miler on a good day for a short period of time! Yay me! It helped to have Lisa pushing me along!!!!

Next workout Tuedsay with ABD!!!

This is What Über-Dedication Looks Like

I woke up at 5am to lift before work since I was catching a flight directly after work. I am amazing. Here is what I did:

Lunges with Russian Twist x 3s x 15r @ (hold a medicine or core ball in front of you and lunge. On the way down, twist your torso left if your left leg is in front and vice-versa. Try the 20lbs black core ball to start with) (The 20lb ball worked fine.)
Push-ups with hands on BOSU x 3s x 15r (see how many full push-ups you can get) (5 full push-ups each set.)
Alternating Leg Seated Leg Curls x 3s x 20r each leg @ 45-55lbs (I did 45 lbs.)
Reverse Grip Lat Pulldowns x 3s x 15r @ 60-70lbs (straight bar with your palms facing you) (I did 60 lbs.)
Cable Upright Rows x 3s x 20r @ 30-40lbs (use a straight bar and the cable machine) (I did 30 lbs.)
Stability Ball Crunches x 3s x 20r
Scissor Lying Leg Raises x 3s x 15r
Alternating-Arm Cable Biceps Curls x 3s x 15r @ 15-20lbs (! did 15 lbs.)
Cable Rope Triceps Pushdowns x 3s x 20r @ 25-30lbs (I did 25 lbs.)

Today I rest and tomorrow Devon gave me a home resistance routine that makes me want to cry. :)

Wednesday Cardio: Check.

Elliptical fun today. The assignment:

Wednesday, 1/27/2010 - Cardio: 50 min. Elliptical (5 min Z2, 5 min Z3, repeat)

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 638 (Elliptical)/574 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles:4.62
Total Time: 60:00
Ending Heart Rate: 133

Next workout: tomorrow. At 5:30am. I don't even want to talk about it. Resistance training before I take off for NH tomorrow night!

"There's No Crying in Man-Land."

Yes, today was an ABD day. I am tempted to just list my favorite ABD quotes from the session with little to no explanations... Yes, yes I will. I will say that he enjoys bringing the pain...to me. He *really* enjoys it. A little worrisome for me.

ABD quotes:

"I think you overestimate my capacity for feelings. If you died while doing this machine, I'd feel a *little* bit of responsibility, but I wouldn't be sad."

"I have NEVER seen anyone shake so bad, with so little weight on this machine!"

"The machine owned you that last set. Erin 1, Machine 1. Who's gonna take round three??? I think you may be the underdog." I should note that this was a different machine than the previous quote.

(Upon me saying I don't think I can do another set of these--again, completely different exercise than prior quotes.) "I think you're gonna *try*." Yes, Devon...I am gonna try. And I am going to do them...all...because you are going to make me.

"There's no crying in Man-Land." To be fair, I was not crying. But in retrospect, I see how he could have thought I was as I curled into a ball after the worst triceps set of my life.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!? NEVER LEAVE A BENCH UNATTENDED!!! YOU HAVE TO GUARD IT! WE ARE IN *MAN-LAND*!" This was yelled at me in a panic when I followed him to help grab some weights (I was being pro-active in helping get weights). Apparently *my* job was to guard the bench. According to ABD I have much to learn about Man-Land etiquette.

There are more, but I don't want to bore you. Here is the workout that inspired those quotes:

Hack Squats: 160 lbs, 20 reps; 180 lbs, 20 reps; 200 lbs, 20 reps
Stand Cable Press - FM: 40 lbs, 15 reps, 3 sets
Russian Falls: Body Weight, 20 reps, 3 sets
Shoulder Combo: 5lb dumbbells, 20 reps, 3 sets
Prone Iso Abs w/ Hip Abduction: Body Weight, 16 reps, 3 sets
BB Preacher Curls: 35 lbs, 20 reps, 3 sets
Overhead Triceps Ext: 10 lbs, 15 reps, 3 sets (this machine was the one I shook SO hard on....I think Devon did most of the lifting for me, to be fair...)
Bosu Burpees: 5 in 30 sec; 6 in 30 sec; 7 in 30 sec

ABD added the Bosu Burpees at the end 'for fun'. He thought after the overhead triceps extensions--that I could barely do and curled into a ball after the *first* set--another exercise would be fun. Yes, Devon...FUN.

One funny story from today. For the Russian Falls, Devon just told me to kneel on the mat and face away from him because we'd be doing Russian Falls. I had no idea what they were and was somewhat confused and thought that me facing away from him would be problematic in understanding the exercise since I couldn't see him demonstrate. A boy (who was very cute) overheard this exchange and giggled. Then he kept giggling during the whole explanation. I looked at him and asked if he thought this was funny and he said yes because as soon as he heard 'Russian Falls' he knew he would be entertained. Awesome. As I told ABD, even though I am 25% Russian, I did not like them. Nope.

Also!!! I have successfully nagged, whined to, or shamed Devon into preparing a diet plan for me! And, and, and! HCL (recall: Hard Core Liz) is helping him! Devon took me down to the LifeCafe and we bought me some FastFuel, a protein-filled meal thingy-do. (<--that's the technical term). I have to get permission to take it from my blood thinner peoples as it contains some leafy greens. But, if they approve, I will be incorporating that into my snack time. I am *very* excited for my new plan. The new diet will begin when I get back from NH, so next Tuesday.

Next workout tomorrow. ABD should tell me what it is sometime in the next 20 hours. :)

Sole Sisters Run - 1/25/10

I had an awesome time with my girls this morning running...but I wouldn't say I *loved* the running. It seemed a bit harder than usual. But I did it. I ran the whole 30 minutes with Amy, Julie and Kiley. I did cut a few corners on the laps, but didn't stop running. About 28 minutes in, I gave a time update and suggested we cool down at 30 minutes. Kiley said she was glad because she wasn't sure how much longer she could go. I was so excited!!! It wasn't just me!!!!! :)

Anyways, 5 minute warm-up, 30 minute run, 15 minute cool-down walk!

Next workout with ABD tomorrow!!!

Worked Out with Heather Again...More Suprise! Cardio

Lifted with Heather today! Then we did 45 minutes of cardio. I started on the elliptical with her, but the 60 minutes on the elliptical *yesterday* did a number on my elliptical-moving muscles, so I switched to the treadmill for the final 30 minutes.

The resistance training:

Seated Leg Extensions x 3s x 15r @ 60-70lbs (I did 65 lbs--right in the middle)
Inclined Dumbbell Chest Flyes x 3s x 12r @ 15-20lbs (I did 15 lb dumbbells)
Stiff-Leg Barbell Deadlift x 3s x 15r @ 60-70lbs (I did 70 lbs)
Alternating Arm Bent-over Dumbbell Row x 3s x 15r @ 25lbs
Dumbbell Front Raises x 3s x 15r @ 10-15lbs (I did 10 lbs)
Swimmers (like a Superman but done with opposite limbs, i.e. left leg/right arm) x 3s x 20r
Seated Machine Biceps Curls x 3s x 12r @ 30-40lbs (I did 30 lbs)
Lying Stability Ball Dumbbell Triceps Extension x 3s x 15r @ 15lbs

Next workout tomorrow! Running with the Sole Sisters...

Saturday Workout? Check.

Today was 50 minutes on the elliptical: {4 min zone 2, 5 min zone 3, 1 min zone 1} repeat.

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 541 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 4.59
Total Time: 57:30
Ending Heart Rate: 139

I also bumped into Devon. He refuses to defend my honor to Jerkface Anthony by removing his legs, like I suggested. But he said he will *threaten* to do that to him. Good enough for me. ::grin::

Also, one of the other trainers and I totally got into a verbal altercation today. He was seriously rude and out of line. I think I held my own but am still kind of ticked off about it. He is a body builder and a total jerk. My sister, Meghan, thinks I should call him "Grumplestiltzkin" or "Cranky Pants" the next time he pulls some crud like this again. I think that is a *great* idea. :)

Next workout tomorrow (and probably with my friend, Heather!): resistance training.

Lifted and Surprise! Cardio

Today I did my resistance training and was strong-armed into doing 30 minutes on the elliptical with Heather. I just cannot say no to her. I did an easy zone 2 30 minutes. Average HR was around 150.

Resistance Training:

Lunges x 3s x 15r @ 20-25lbs (I did 20 lb dumbbells)
Push-ups with hands on BOSU x 3s x 15r
Seated Leg Curls x 3s x 20r @ 65-75lbs (I did 65 lbs)
Close-Grip Lat Pulldowns x 3s x 15r @ 60-70lbs (same V-shaped handle used for Seated Rows) (I did 60 lbs)
Cable Upright Rows x 3s x 15r @ 30-40lbs (use a straight bar and the cable machine) (I did 32.5 lbs)
Long-Lever Floor Crunches x 3s x 20r (hold your hands straight above your head and don't keep them there. Don't sweep them forward)
Scissor Lying Leg Raises x 3s x 15r
Alternating-Arm Dumbbell Biceps Curls x 3s x 15r @ 15-20lbs (I did 15 lb dumbbells)
Cable Triceps Pushdowns x 3s x 20r @ 25-30lbs (I did 25 lbs)

Heather's trainer, Jerkface Anthony, made fun of me for asking a simple question. The question shall not be repeated here since apparently Jerkface Anthony thought it was stupid. He asked me if I was blonde. So clever, Jerkface Anthony...

Next workout Saturday and it is currently TBD!

I am a Machine.

In case you were wondering, which you were, I decided to get back on the ZTT food plan today. And did. Because I am awesome. AWESOME.

I also did my cardio assignment for today. My assignments through Friday:

Wednesday, 1/20/2010 - Cardio: 50 min. treadmill (4 min Z2, 4 min Z3, 1 min Z4, 1 min Z1, repeat)

Thurs. 1/21/2010: Resistance Training: Lunges x 3s x 15r @ 20-25lbs
Push-ups with hands on BOSU x 3s x 15r
Seated Leg Curls x 3s x 20r @ 65-75lbs
Close-Grip Lat Pulldowns x 3s x 15r @ 60-70lbs (same V-shaped handle used for Seated Rows)
Cable Upright Rows x 3s x 15r @ 30-40lbs (use a straight bar and the cable machine)
Long-Lever Floor Crunches x 3s x 20r (hold your hands straight above your head and don't keep them there. Don't sweep them forward)
Scissor Lying Leg Raises x 3s x 15r
Alternating-Arm Dumbbell Biceps Curls x 3s x 15r @ 15-20lbs
Cable Triceps Pushdowns x 3s x 20r @ 25-30lbs

Fri. 1/22/2010 : Rest

Today was good. I felt more energized eating the appropriate foods and actually hydrating properly. I feel like my body is very happy with me. As much as *I* love the unhealthy foods, I am pretty sure, my body does not.

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 546 (Elliptical)/549 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 3.78
Total Time: 58:30
Ending Heart Rate: 136

Next workout tomorrow, resistance training!

"You're like the sane version of Rainman."

Yes, the long awaited, first *real* session with ABD (last time he had to see what I could handle and stuff). Dare I say, I think I like him. No buyer's remorse here. And *I* had a fun time tonight and have lots of fun stories. I will describe them for you here. I hope that you enjoy them as well. In short, the session hurt like nobody's business and ABD is C-R-A-Z-Y-Crazy, but I think it was good. On to the fun stories!

1) At the chest press, I totally counted 15 reps and he said I had to do one more. I did it. But not quietly. I let him know--in no uncertain terms--that I will defer to him on all things weight loss and strength training, but when it comes to counting...I win. (This interaction will matter in a later story...stay tuned).

2) When I lifted the 50 lb barbell for the standing shoulder presses, I totally almost fell over. Devon found this HI-larious and proceeded to mock me and call me "stumbly". I told him about the session with ZTT where I almost had a 20 lb dumbbell fall on my face, then almost fell off of the stability ball...twice...and asked ABD if he wanted to rethink the whole 50 lb barbell idea. He did not.

3) Also at the chest press, I informed Devon that I flex in the mirror every morning and told him that I have a strong chest. ::grin:: ABD was speechless.

4) During the miserable session that was planks lifting one leg off of the ground for 6 seconds (I know, it should be illegal..but it is not...at least as far as I can tell...), of course Devon was not timing me. I mean, he was the one with the watch, so why would he? He told me to "just count to six". I got a smirk and counted to 6 as quickly as Erinly possibly--which you all know is fast. He then insisted on the use of "mississippis". I still could do it pretty quickly, so he demonstrated his preferred speed of mississippi-saying. I did them, begrudgingly. For the second set, I decided to save some time and just maintain the plank while switching out legs. I was on my FOURTH rep when apparently ABD decided to notice this. He informed me that it only counted for TWO reps. I argued that I was getting a better workout since I was maintaining the plank. ABD insisted that I was not "re-engaging the muscles". He had also complained earlier that my dismount (of flopping my body down when I reached 6-mississippi) was not good I should have a controlled rest period. So, I got my best defiant tone and narrated the entire process for the rest of the set: 1-mississippi, 2-mississippi, 3-mississippi, 4-mississippi, 5-mississippi, 6-mississippi, controlled rest, re-engaging muscles, etc... I'm sure Devon LOVED it. ::sarcasm::

4a) While being a little snot (as described in the above story), I lost count of how many reps I had done, so I asked ABD. He was *shocked* I did not know after story #1 and told me I am "like the sane version of Rainman". I died. ABD is some funny stuff, I tell ya.

4b) When the plank session was completed, Devon told (not asked) me to put the mat away. I picked it up and thought about hitting his face with it. But I restrained. I then told him as much and said: "You're welcome." He then told me: "YOU'RE welcome. You see, it worked out for the best. You get to keep your legs and I get to avoid an assault charge." Scary, ABD...scary...

5) ABD was all in pain from his last workout. I kept telling him how bad I felt for him, in a less than sincere tone. He called me out on my tone at one point, implying I was not *actually* sorry he was in so much pain. I told him that I would give him one of his own pep talks. I said: "Devon, when you work out, you pull muscles. It happens. Deal with it." He laughed. Which is good. For me.

Anyways, there are more stories, but I cannot possibly remember them all. After all, HE KICKED MY BUTT. My arms were (are?) mush. I jokingly told him that I would not be able to drive my stick shift home. He told me to only use gears 1 and 5. Ha ha, Devon. Soooo funny.

The evil lifting routine (3 sets of everything):

Squats - FM: 160 lbs, 15 reps
Seat Chest Press - FM: 35 lbs, 15 reps
Lying Leg Curls: 60 lbs, 20 reps
Stand BB Military Press: 50 lb barbell, 20 reps
Prone - Iso Abs w/ Hip Ext: 12 (6 each leg--these are the evil planks with one raised leg)
BB Bicep Curls: 45 lb barbell (1st set), 35 lb barbell (2nd and 3rd set)
Seat Tricep Ext: 40 lb, 20 reps
Lunge, Curl, Press: 12.5 lb dumbbells (across gym each set)

Yes, the LAST thing we did was lunges into bicep curls into shoulder press. My. Arms. Were. Mush. I will be in pain tomorrow. But I think good pain...

Also! I am back. I mean, BACK. I went to the grocery store and will be back on the ZTT food plan starting with breakfast tomorrow. Devon has asked that I alter my protein to have a little more at lunch and a little less at dinner. Done. (Side story: he suggested a chicken sandwich for lunch. I told him I only like Chic-fil-a chicken sandwiches. He told me I can have as MANY as I want on Sundays. I told him I wasn't stupid.)

Next workout, tomorrow! Devon said he'd get it to me...and in his words, he hasn't failed me yet! Yes, I do like ABD. I'll keep him. For now. ;)

Hotel Workouts Completed!!!

I am very happy to announce that I have completed ALL assigned workouts for my California trip! It is very tough to fit in working out with working and sister fun time, but it feels great to: 1) know that it is done; and 2) know that I completed a regular week's worth of workouts whilst vacationing...er...uh...I mean, WORKING. I didn't do all the workouts on the days Devon suggested, but all are completed and I think the tweaking to the schedule is just fine.

Yesterday I did the elliptical machine for the first time in I think 8 years. It burns roughly the same amount of calories as the treadmill but seems almost a bit easier to work in the higher zones. The assignment was cardio: Elliptical 50 min (4 min. Z2, 6 min Z3, 1 min Z1, repeat) My stats:

Calories Burned: 513 (Elliptical)/475 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 4.71
Total Time: 50:00
Ending Heart Rate: 147 (I didn't cool down at all...)

Today I swam for ~20 minutes.

Next workout: Tuesday with ABD! Yay for Rest Monday!!! Although I will miss my girls...

Lifted Today

So, I will start with a confession, no explanation. I took yesterday off. I needed it. I was supposed to do something on the elliptical for 50 minutes, but the jet lag has really gotten to me and I just didn't have the energy. I *did* go to bed at 9:30 and I feel super refreshed this morning! I will be adjusting my schedule to still do the cardio, but will do it on Sunday (previously a rest day). See, no need for confessions! I simply reorganized...and I *love* reorganizing!!!

Today, I made sure to get my lifting routine done early so I wouldn't have the temptation of scrapping it later in the day.

The assignment (and my modifications, when necessary):

Seated Leg Extensions x 3s x 12r @ 60-70lbs (I did 60 lbs)
Dumbbell Chest Flyes x 3s x 12r @ 15-20lbs (I used 10 lb dumbbells--there is only one 15 lb dumbbell at the hotel gym, and 20 would ave been too heavy)
Stiff-Leg Dumbbell Deadlift x 3s x 15r @ 25-30lbs (I used 25 lb dumbbells)
Bent-over Dumbbell Row x 3s x 15r @ 25lbs (I used 25 lb dumbbells)
Dumbbell Side Raises x 3s x 15r @ 10-15lbs (I used 10 lb dumbbells for the first 2 sets which for some reason kicked my butt so I used 5 lb dumbbells for the last set--I almost stopped after two sets so I see the decision to continue with lighter weight a victory!)
Supermans x 3s x 20r
Seated Machine Biceps Curls x 3s x 12r @ depends on the machine...I'm thinking 30-40lbs (There was no Bicep Curl machine so I used the 10 lb dumbbells)
Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extension x 3s x 15r @ 15lbs (These I also almost did not do, because I had NO idea what they were--but my sister, Marina, came to the rescue and told me!!! I did the first two sets with the 10 lb dumbbell because I was so used to ignoring the lone 15 lb dumbbell. During my second set it occurred to me that I was doing only one arm at a time so the lone 15 lb dumbbell was fine! I did the third set with the 15 lb dumbbell)

Next workout: swimming tomorrow!!!

Lamest Post Ever

I swam for 20 minutes today. Did the breathstroke and elementary backstroke.

Tired. I swam after 9pm which is past midnight on my internal clock.

Next workout tomorrow.

Hotel Workout - Day One

Oh, ABD. You cause me such pain... SUCH PAIN. Hotel workouts are supposed to be easy. I mean, I am away from the gym, chilling at the Math Conference...ugh...

Here are my assignments for the week:

Tues. 1/12/10: Resistance Training: Lunges x 3s x 12r @ 20-25lbs
Push-ups x 3s x 12r (try to get 3-5 regular full push-ups per set)
Seated Leg Curls x 3s x 15r @ 65-75lbs
Lat Pulldowns x 3s x 15r @ 60-70lbs
Barbell Upright Rows x 3s x 15r @ 30-40lbs
Floor Crunches x 3s x 20r
Lying Leg Raises x 3s x 15r
Dumbbell Biceps Curls x 3s x 12r @ 15-20lbs
Cable Triceps Pushdowns x 3s x 15r @ 25-30lbs

Wed. 1/13/10: Swimming

Thurs. 1/14/10: Cardio: Elliptical 50 min (4 min. Z2, 6 min Z3, 1 min Z1, repeat)

Fri. 1/15/10: Resistance Training: Seated Leg Extensions x 3s x 12r @ 60-70lbs
Dumbbell Chest Flyes x 3s x 12r @ 15-20lbs
Stiff-Leg Dumbbell Deadlift x 3s x 15r @ 25-30lbs
Bent-over Dumbbell Row x 3s x 15r @ 25lbs
Dumbbell Side Raises x 3s x 15r @ 10-15lbs
Supermans x 3s x 20r
Seated Machine Biceps Curls x 3s x 12r @ depends on the machine...I'm thinking 30-40lbs
Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extension x 3s x 15r @ 15lbs
Sat. 1/16/10: Swimming

Sun. 1/17/10: Rest

Mon. 1/18/10: Rest

So, for today I had to modify some due to the hotel gym situation, but the gym was surprisingly well-stocked. What I did:

Resistance Training: Lunges x 3s x 12r @ 20 lb dumbbells
Push-ups x 3s x 12r (3 regular full push-ups per set)
Seated Leg Curls x 3s x 15r @ 70 lbs
Lat Pulldowns x 3s x 15r @ 60 lbs
Barbell Upright Rows x 3s x 15r @ 30-40lbs (didn't do these...don't know what they are)
Floor Crunches x 3s x 20r
Lying Leg Raises x 3s x 15r
Dumbbell Biceps Curls x 3s x 12r (1st set 20 lb DB, 2nd set 10 lb DB, 3rd set 20 lb DB)
Cable Triceps Pushdowns x 3s x 15r @ 25-30lbs (the cable machine was broken, did tricep exercises with the 10 lb DB instead)

I am in a bit of pain... Hopefully it will pass soon... Next workout tomorrow, swimming!! (This I can handle...)

Sole Sisters Run - 1/11/10

Sole Sisters ran this morning! It was awesome...per usual.

Today Jane, Kiley and I ran for 30 minutes straight, pushing it for the last minute. I warmed up 5 minutes and cooled down about 6 minutes. I feel like we ran faster than usual but I have no real way of gauging that. I let Jane and Kiley set the pace today and it *felt* faster. Jane is crazy and ran stairs *for fun* and ran an extra 5 minutes. Julie and Karen ran/walked it. And, we ALL rocked it.

Here is our picture (a la the Bel Air Sisters):



Next workout *probably* tomorrow. ABD has yet to give it to me. :) I will be flying to CA tomorrow and not coming home til Tuesday, the 19th. I am still debating whether I bring my laptop or not, so I may or may not blog post again until I get home... If I don't, IMYA. :)

"Don't Cry Because It is Over, Smile Because It Happened."

Title quote by the late Dr. Seuss. :)

Today we said goodbye to ZTT over lunch at Cosi. Yum. And ZTT picked the place so he was really to blame for the large chunks of mozzarella that I ate. I repeat, YUM.

We brought him an amazing gift and I, of course, took pictures.



Yes, that's correct. We ::heart:: ZTT so much that we bought him a New York Yankees shirt, with ZTT #1 on it, of course!!! The gift box was also amazing. It had a cut out Yoda on it! I kind of love this picture (and so does Zak, I'm sure...):



I also took an after photo for him to put in his testimonials book. I will be writing him a testimonial when he gives me the topics he wants covered, but I figure I will write a first cut here and if it is good enough he can just take it. In short, this is an Ode to ZTT. First, before and after pictures.

Before (June 2009):



After (Front view):



After (Side view):



What difference!!! Now for my ZTT wrap-up.

I worked with ZTT in some capacity from April 22, 2009 to December 29, 2009. In those 8 months, I:

Lost 68 pounds.
Lost 27% of my body weight.
Went down 4 clothing sizes.
Worked out between 3-6 days per week, giving a reasonable estimate of 144 workouts.
Ran five 5Ks, one 10K and a 1/2 marathon.
Lowered my blood pressure from 140/90 to 118/70.

Additionally, there are some things that cannot be measured in numbers, but are still so worth noting. I:

Feel amazing.
Have more energy.
Am proud of myself.
Feel like an actual athlete, not a poser (like I previously did).
Am more willing to try athletic feats since I believe that I could actually be successful at them.
Have inspired the "facebook nations" as well as many, many of my friends and family.
Can see somewhat defined muscles when I flex in front of the mirror (which happens every morning).

I am sure there are so many more things that I am not including, but I think the gist is clear: I worked HARD to get where I am today, but I am confident that without Zak, none of it would have happened! Zak knew how to handle me--how to pick me back up when I didn't want to do it anymore and how to celebrate with me when I had great successes. I'll miss you, ZTT...I'll especially miss chatting with you about all of my crazy life drama (and you *know* you'll miss it too!) but you suggested Devon and I am confident that he can *try* to pick up where you left off and take me that last mile... Thanks for everything!!! ::tear, sob::

Saturday Workout? Check.

Today All Business Devon assigned some cardio: Treadmill 50 min (5 min. Z2, 5 min Z3) -- try the "Hill" option on the treadmill and adjust your speeds to keep you in zone.

I woke up this morning in a world of pain. Oh. My. Ow. My shoulders are destroyed--just DESTROYED. And my core. Oh, my core. Every time I laugh, cough, eat, breathe, think...it hurts! Ugh. As I mentioned to ABD in the email I sent him, it is what Zak used to refer to as "good pain". Well done, ABD... He may just live up to his butt-kicking reputation...

I am not a fan of the "Hill" option. Maybe it will grow on me. I satrted off on level 4 (with the choices of 1-20), a complete guess. It was so pansy I had to run pretty fast to get into zone 3! This caused my calves to lock up and hurt in the first ten minutes. I upped it to level 7, then subsequently to level 10. Level 10 seemed to range from inclines 1.5 to 7.8. I typically vary my inclines from 2.0 to 8.0, so it was close. I could probably push it a little more next time. Other than the calf pain, which went away about 30 minutes in, the workout was fine.

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 499 (Treadmill)/485 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 3.41
Total Time: 52:05 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 142

I didn't do a very long cool down, because I had to use the little runner's room badly. :) So, my ending HR was a bit high.

Also, ZTT was working out! So I got to say a quick hello before rushing off to make it to Saturday night church. Lynn, Amanda F. and I will be lunching with ZTT tomorrow to give him a gift for all the awesomeness he has done for us! Very exciting.

Tomorrow: REST DAY!!!
Monday: Run with the girls in the AM, Latin Fusion in the PM! (7pm at Lifetime, if you are a member!!!)

ABD, My Friends...My Friends, ABD...

I happened to have my iPhone AND bumped into ABD at the gym today! You all are in for a treat. You get to meet him earlier than I said! So, I offered to wait to take the picture until he smiled, but All Business Devon does not smile for pictures apparently. He chose his tough-guy-trainer-face. Ok...whatever. I will repost ZTT's picture here, so you can see the juxtaposition.

Tough-Guy, All Business Devon:


Happy, Nice ZTT:


I'll have a comparison chart in some upcoming post. For now, I'll just say that Devon is growing on me. I chatted with him today about a few things:

1) I have realized that I need to be coddled. Devon doesn't seem like the coddling type.
2) I told him he was crazy for assigning me 50 lb standing shoulder presses because, recall, ZTT left me with 12.5 lb dumbbells. That's 25 lbs total. HALF of what ABD assigned.
3) I am eating whatever I want because he won't give me a diet plan.

My friend, Lynn, was with me. She backed me up on all 3 points. I love her. Lynn and I then decided to do our strength training routines in a somewhat collaborative fashion. Sometimes we would separate on our respective machines, but when we were doing stuff in the free weights section, we'd do them together. I love having a workout buddy! We are talking about doing it every Friday! And Amanda F. may come too!!! Which would make us a group like the very groups Amanda F. ranted about two days ago. Having said that, we aren't lame. So we should be fine...

I could not find one of the machines ABD gave me walking directions to. He was there, but with a client, so I did not want to interrupt him with a question. I decided on the following plan: walk around confused until he saw me and took pity on me OR Lynn was done with her exercise and could help me try to find it. Lynn finished first and kept telling me what machine it was. But I kept not understanding. Apparently we were in the earshot of Devon and he turned and pointed to the right machine. Thanks, Devon!!!

The assignment:

Resistance Training: Squats FM x 3s x 12r @ 160lbs
Seat Chest Press FM x 3s x 12r @ 35lbs
Lying Leg Curls x 3s x 15r @ 60lbs
Seat Row x 3s x 15r @ 55lbs
Standing BB Shoulder Press x 3s x 15r @ 50lbs
Plank x 3s x 10r @ 12 second hold
BB Biceps Curls x 3s x 12r @ 35lbs
Machine Triceps Extensions x 3s x 15r @ 50-60lbs

I had asked ABD about the 50 lb shoulder press. I explained that Zak had left me at 12.5 dumbbells. He had a great response. *Apparently* we had done "military presses" on Tuesday, which are the same thing, and I did them with the 40 lb bar and when he asked me "Easy, Medium or Hard", I *allegedly* said "Medium". Touché, Devon, touché. So, I tried them with the 50 lb bar. And it was ROUGH. I did the first set of 15. Then, during the second set, I had to rest after 8, then finished up the last 7. For the final set, I dropped the weight down to 40 lbs. Lynn encouraged me through it...cause it was tough! Lynn also helped me through the 6 total minutes of planks he assigned. I did the first set by myself and it was ok, but tough. Then Lynn came over and totally did the last two sets with me even though her trainer HCL (Hard-Core Liz) didn't assign them for her! I seriously am not sure I could have done this workout without Lynn!!! She wins an award today! Which award? Hmm... I feel like it should be clever, but I am not feeling very clever... I guess she wins the cheerleader-who-also-kicks-some-strength-routine-butt award. Like it. :)

So, when I got home I had an email from Devon! He asked how my workout was, asked for a list of foods I will not eat (presumably to make me a meal plan) and told me he wants to hear about my workout tomorrow. ABD, that earns you DOUBLE-SUPER-MEGA-BONUS points. Well played, sir...

Next workout tomorrow! Cardio!

Olé!

Tonight, my crazy friend Heather, who talked me into the Step class that I regretted, talked me into Latin Fusion. Devon had assigned me resistance training, but I texted him and he graciously moved it to tomorrow, previously known as my rest day. When I asked ABD if he intended for me to have no rest day, he said yes. :(

So, Latin Fusion? I was convinced it would be a train wreck--but it SO wasn't! I have zero rhythm and am DEFINITELY a white girl, but had a great time!!! I would totally do it again (hopefully with Julie V.!!!)!

I think I caught Heather's new trainer watching us and laughing, but it was probably just a coincidence... I'm sure...

Next workout tomorrow:

Resistance Training: Squats FM x 3s x 12r @ 160lbs
Seat Chest Press FM x 3s x 12r @ 35lbs
Lying Leg Curls x 3s x 15r @ 60lbs
Seat Row x 3s x 15r @ 55lbs
Standing BB Shoulder Press x 3s x 15r @ 50lbs
Plank x 3s x 10r @ 12 second hold
BB Biceps Curls x 3s x 12r @ 35lbs
Machine Triceps Extensions x 3s x 15r @ 50-60lbs

You may have noticed that you (nor I) had ever seen the names of some of these machines before. That's because I have never touched them, used them or gone within 10 feet of them. Thanks, ABD. I emailed him about the ones I didn't know. He gave me walking directions to them. I sort of love that. And hate it. All at the same time. :)

First ABD Cardio, Amanda F. Rant AND an Embarrassing Story

Today is jam packed with randomness. I got my first ABD cardio assignment, Amanda F. had an amazing rant in the women's locker room AND I embarrassed myself. So much to write about... Let us begin.

Today. Devon gave me my first cardio assignment. Very ZTT-esque. I like it. It was: Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010 - Cardio: 50 min. treadmill or see below (4 min Z2, 4 min Z3, 1 min Z4, 1 min Z1, repeat). I like how he put the full date. :) It's exactly that attention to detail that sways me to like ABD...

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 560 (Treadmill)/575 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 3.69
Total Time: 60:00 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 132

I still do not have the rest of my assignments...it's like I am still working with Zak! (Oh snap...)

Next. I saw Amanda F. in the women's locker room. I commented on how stinking packed the weight floor was today. All those lame New Year's resolution people. Amanda launched into an excellent rant about how we were here before them and we'll be here after. Also, she gives them one month tops til they stop coming. She finished her rant with how there were two major types of people annoying her: men who work out in groups and take forever and high school girls all skanked up trying to get said guys' attention. She then concluded with my favorite line: "Guys give women a hard time for going to the bathroom in groups, well they work out in groups. They shouldn't judge."

Finally, the part you've all been waiting for--me embarrassing myself. So. I am on the treadmill and this guy walks by who looks familiar. After a second I realize it is the guy from my office that almost all the women think is very hot (I will take this moment to disclaim that Amanda E., nee M., does not. I can appreciate that he is pretty, but not my type). I was curious how he looked sweaty..as any normal person would be. So when I was done on the treadmill I decided to go to the weight room to see, but I needed an excuse. Luckily I had seen Amanda F. there earlier so I was going to go look for her to say hello. Completely reasonable. So I head over there and scan the room for "Amanda" when I see him (all sweaty...) and his head popped up fast, like he recognized me. Oh no! Abort! Abort! But it was too late. Luckily (again), I saw it out of the corner of my eye, so I think I have plausible deniability. I had a look on my face that was intended to say: "Huh. Where is my friend, Amanda? She *should* be here..." I am sure it didn't say that to him... It probably said: "Hello hot guy, I am a creepy stalker." Which perhaps I am.

Next workout tomorrow and TBD (Devon...).

Oh! And, in case you were wondering, I was stuck behind every slow driver in the world today, except my mom, because she lives in New Hampshire (you know I love you, Mom...).

And--still no word from the owner on my complaint letter. Not cool.

"Not Gonna Happen."

So, Devon. Jury is still out. But he did okay. I did schedule two more months with him. So, he's not out yet. :) He is all business, but I did get a few smiles and laughs out of him. I may call him ABD for "All Business Devon". I like it.

He is different than ZTT. Which is to be expected. I tried not to do the "Zak always did it this way..." thing. But I totally did. And he took it well. Some examples:

Me: Are we going to weigh in?
ABD: Sure. You wanna weigh in?
Me: Well, Zak always weighed me in.
ABD: Ok. (walks in direction AWAY from scale)
Me: Soooo...we're NOT weighing in?
ABD: Oh. You wanna weigh in now???
Me: Yes.

Me: We're only doing one set of each exercise??? Zak always had me do 3.
ABD: Yes.
(silence)
Me: Ok.

ABD: Go get the 15 pound dumbbells.
Me: Zak always got the dumbbells for me.
ABD: Not gonna happen. Go get them.

ABD: Go get an exercise mat and do pushups.
Me: I think Zak always got the stuff for me because he knows that when I repeat the weight routine, I have to do it all myself. (pause) And *he's* a nice guy.
ABD: (silence)

Me: I don't like this exercise. Zak never made me do it. Can I stop?
ABD: No.

I'm sure I am leaving some good ones out. But there were so many exchanges...how can I possibly remember them all??? Here is the lifting routine we did. All are one set. I kind of like the one set technique because if I hate the machine, I only do it once.

FM Squats, 140 lbs, 10 reps
Lunges, 15 lb dumbbells, 12 each leg
Seated Leg Extensions, 60 lbs, 15 reps
FM Deadlifts, 100 lbs, 10 reps
Step-Ups, 40 lbs, 12 reps
Lying Leg Curls, 55 lbs, 15 reps
FM Chest Press, 30 lbs, 10 reps
Push-ups, Body Weight, 12
Cable Triceps Extensions, 27.5 lbs, 15 reps
Close Group Pulldowns, 60 lbs, 10 reps
Bent Over BB Rows, 60 lb bar, 12 reps
AA DB Curls, 15 lb dumbbells, 15 reps
Standing Military Press, 40 lbs, 10 reps
Rope Upright Rows, 27.5 lbs, 12 reps
DB Side Raises, 10 lbs, 15 reps
Crunches, 12
Lying Leg Raises, 12
Supermans, 12
Prone Iso-Abs (Plank), 30 seconds

I love that I did something called "Supermans", but I hated doing them. A lot.

Some other observations about Devon:

1) He seems like he is fun. I see the potential there.
2) He is very thorough. I LOVE that.
3) His handwriting is so neat. He attributes this fact to Catholic school.
4) When asked if he didn't like me (like he was afraid he might) he said except for the fact that I talk too fast he does. No good, Devon. No good.
5) He doesn't mind that I talk about him on my blog. Even said I can post a picture of him! Just need to take it... Next session isn't until Jan 19. So, you must wait...
6) He wants me to vary my food plan up but isn't giving me exactly what to eat. I used many words to try to explain to him that I NEED specifics. He may come through...we'll see.
7) When I asked him to motivate me to get back on the wagon he told me that I need to motivate myself. I said no good!!! I told him I wanted to fear a tough workout if I don't stick to the plan. He said that he is going to kick my butt EVERY workout regardless of how I do in between. I asked him if he thought he kicked my butt today, because he SO didn't. I really hope he did not take that as a challenge for next time. He did say that he did not kick my butt because he did not "want to cripple me" without knowing what I can handle. That is clearly a slam on Zak and his ability to beef me up. ZTT and ABD should engage in fisticuffs. Zak is a mixed martial arts fighter, he can so take Devon. I'm just sayin...

ABD is going to email me my assignments for the next two weeks tonight or early tomorrow morning.

Oh! And I delivered the letters today. Now, we wait...

Letter to Lifetime

At the suggestion of several people, I am writing a letter to my gym to discuss the situation with the turnover of my personal trainer. I am going to post a copy of the letter with the personal information (names, etc...) masked out. This is what I am delivering tomorrow. My dad wrote it. :)

*********************************************************************
                                                            #### ###### #### ###
                                                            ####### ####, MD #####
                                                            January 6, 2010

#### ###########
Owner, Columbia Lifetime Fitness

Dear Mr. ###########:

I am writing to you regarding ### ######. I feel that your sudden and deliberate termination of Mr. ###### after he gave notice was irresponsible and not in the best interest of ###, your Company, or your current customers. In most professional businesses, people are given a chance to make a smooth transition for both their companies and their customers.

I have been a loyal customer since April 2009 and working with ### since then. After several months, I switched from TEAM Weight Loss to One-on-One training with ###. Since then I have exceeded my weight loss goals and overall health goals, due to ###’s leadership and my hard work.

I have been so pleased with ### that I continually refer new customers to your business and at least two (2) and shortly another person will be joining your company as customers. At any economic time, this type of customer loyalty should be understood by you, but especially in these most difficult economic times. I am disappointed in both your decision to terminate him without a smooth transition for your customers and the associated business practice. Giving notice is a professional thing to do, and giving that professional employee time to transition his customers to other Columbia Lifetime trainers would have been a good business practice.

I am deeply disturbed by your handling of ### ###### and that decision puts my faith in Columbia Lifetime at risk. It appears that the only person who acted professionally is no longer at Columbia Lifetime. Your decision places me in a quandary as it makes me wonder why you would make such a decision that clearly is NOT in the best interest of your loyal customers.

Sincerely,


Erin ######

CC: ##### ##########, Head of Personal Training
*********************************************************************

Will post a follow-up if I hear anything from the gym...

Sole Sisters Run - 1/4/10

Let me begin with awesome news. I went to the Melting Pot tonight. And it was gooooood. :)

Must get back on the wagon tomorrow. MUST. I meet with Devon for the first time tomorrow. I am very excited. I hope he lives up to ZTT. Big shoes to fill...

So, this morning was a Sole Sisters run. It was lightly attended due to vacations and illnesses, but Karen, Amy and I rocked it! This was by far my best run since I started training back in April. The intervals:

Warm-up walk: 5:00
Run: 20:24
Walk: 1:47
Run: 12:47
Cool-down walk 5:57

Total: 45:57

During the first run, about 16 minutes in, we pushed it for two laps. I loved it! Definitely want to keep this up--running more, pushing it, walking less.

Next workout: tomorrow with Devon! Wish him luck! ;)

New Year's Resolution Run!

Happy New Year! I am not one to particularly care about a number on the calendar, but I guess there is a certain amount of hope and newness and inspiration that comes with this day. So...here's to another year.

Today was the New Year's Resolution Run in Patterson Park. Amy and her sister-in-law, Lynette, joined me! We arrived pretty early and spent a decent amount of time bouncing around trying to stay warm. Although the weather was MUCH better than I had anticipated, so I will not complain about that! This race was VERY low tech. There were no timing chips. There was very little signage for just about anything. And my most favorite part was the start line. There were runners wandering all around Patterson Park in every direction looking for it. When we finally found it, it was a spray-painted dashed white line on the road. However did we miss that??? :)

We started off with run 6/walk 3 intervals. At about 1 1/2 miles, I accidentally took off and lost Amy and Lynette. in my defense, my iPod cord hit my jacket on my right shoulder and makes a whooshing noise that I had thought was Amy the whole time, until I turned around to say something to Amy and she wasn't there, but the whooshing sound still was... :)

At this point, I was running downhill fairly quickly and this was after a mother-huge hill that we ran up, so I was enjoying the active recovery. I accidentally ran over the 6 minutes since it felt so good, so stopped and walked. After less than a minute I decided it was ridiculous to walk since I felt fine and it was downhill, so I ran again. This was at the 2 mile marker. I did the end of the race this way--running when I wanted and walking when I wanted.

My intervals:

Run: 6:00
Walk: 3:00
Run: 5:59
Walk: 2:59
Run: 6:38
Walk: 0:44
Run: 5:59
Walk: 1:59
Run: 4:01

Total: 37:23

I am very happy with this time. It is my fastest run/walk time for a 5K. I ran an entire 5K in 2006 in 36:forty something... But my interval best used to be 38:14 (done at the Monster Dash on Oct 29).

So, great way to start a new year!