Nearly Slid Down the Slippery-Slope

Well, friends...it was a close one today. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. WRONG side. I was cranky and grumpy and tired ALL DAY (Sorry, Sam!)!!! I actually left work a little early to maybe power nap before the gym. But not really early enough, so when I got home, I decided that I was going to email in sick to TEAM. Shocking! I know! You thought you knew me!!! You thought I was dedicated!!! Who *is* this slacker?!?!

Well, 5 pm rolled around, I was still tired. But I thought of my friend Amanda who once said that a trainer told her that anyone can do anything for one minute. I agree. And I can do this for one hour. It may be a long, miserable hour. But I can do it. So I went.

When I got there I brought my earphones and iPhone (which I never do--because Zak the Trainer didn't like it when people listened to music last cycle, but hasn't said anything this cycle...) with the intention of being grumpy, rocking out and enduring it. Oh--and holding onto the treadmill whenever I darned well pleased.

Well, weigh-in came around and I informed Zak the Trainer of my cranky-pants status. And I lost a pound. I won't lie, this cheered me up a bit. I then got on the treadmill, turned on my music and began to rock it. I put only one earbud in so I could still hear Zak the Trainer. But instead of drudging through it, I kind of rocked it. :) I only held onto the treadmill for a combined total of only 2 minutes. I really think that the music is a great idea! I may do this more often. I was still able to participate and interact in class, yet I was really kicking the treadmill's tookus!

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 518 (Treadmill)/512 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 2.63
Total Time: 54:43 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 123

So, you all must be wondering about the 3 to 1 odds and the push-ups. Did Zak the trainer "pansy out" as a certain blogging exercise machine may have speculated? Here is how it went down:

ZTT: So, you all lost a total of 11 pounds, so I have to do 33 push-ups.
Me: With claps, right?
ZTT: <silence>
Me. WITH CLAPS. RIGHT.
ZTT: <silence>
Me: It's cool. You don't have to do them. But I *did* blog post--on the interwebs--that you would pansy out and not do them...so I would like to state that I was right. And it was documented.

Kudos to Zak the trainer--who did all 33 push-ups--with claps. ::grin::

Zak the Trainer Went to Vegas...

...so we got Melissa as a substitute. Zak the Trainer and Melissa are different. Dare I say I like Melissa better?!?! No...I don't know that I would say that. I think I love them each for different reasons.

When Zak the Trainer is in charge:

+ we can hold onto the treadmill whenever we want (PRO)
+ we climbs bigger longer hills with a 2ish minute break (active recovery in zone 2) in the middle of the hour (CON)
+ we engage in witty banter (PRO)
+ he does push-ups during the mid-hour break for each glass of water we drank the day before (PRO)
+ he's a Yankees fan (CON)

When Melissa is in charge:

+ we cannot hold on ever (CON)
+ we do more interval hills where we return to active recovery in zone 2 frequently (PRO)
+ she gives us ranges for the inclines--e.g. go to an incline of between 8.0 and 10.0...really?!?! I go to 8.0...as does any sane person (CON)
+ we have more of a discussion throughout the class as to how things are going and how we can fix/improve things (PRO)
+ she seems to genuinely care and notice about our weight loss (PRO)

Anyways...one thing Melissa did that I kind of liked and also didn't like (because it messed up my incredibly detailed record-keeping for statistical purposes) is to have us pause the treadmills and do squats and push-ups (which was so long the treadmill timed out and I lost all of my stats...grr...) and at the end we did planks. It is worth noting that I did 10 (modified) push-ups. I was under the impression I couldn't do any. I am very excited about this. I did them quite easily and could probably have done more! YAY to upper body workouts... Also, my planks were modified because of the huge bruise and wound on my forearm from the biking incident...but I rocked them nonetheless, there were 2 for 45 seconds each.

My stats (kind of...):

Calories Burned:582 (HR monitor -- for the entire hour of class)

2nd Treadmill Session:
Calories Burned: 196 (Treadmill)
Total Miles: 1.01
Total Time: 20:32 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 145 (but we did planks after cool down, so this number is not accurate)

On Monday's weigh-in Zak the Trainer has given us 3 to 1 odds. What this means is that for every pound we lose he will do three push-ups. With claps. Or so I got him to agree too...I have the feeling he will pansy out of the claps part.

Oh! And as a bit of a P.S., I am going to the Red Sox game tomorrow and am headed out early to go to a BBQ at Camden Yards. I am going to eat BBQ food. My goal is to have a small amount that lossely resembles what I should be eating. What this means is if I was planning on having 3 oz of lean protein and 2 pieces of bread, I will have a burger. It's not lean protein. But it is a lot closer than me going crazy and eating whatever the heck I want... :)

Tired.

I have been tired today...and when I got home I got cranky... COMCAST!!! (I will leave my rant to that...)

So, stats:

Calories Burned: 518 (Treadmill)/470 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 2.71
Total Time: 57:25 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 117

Successful Weigh-Ins Days are Great!

Walking into TEAM today I remember thinking that I needed to ask Zak the Trainer what to do, because I am losing my umph. I am cheating here and there (which I wasn't before). Weekends are a complete mess (well, not complete, but not good). Also, I had no desire to go to TEAM today. I really felt like I was going to maintain for the second week in a row. Which is certainly better than gaining. But I am paying a LOT of money to do this, and I NEED to take it seriously. Then, when I stepped on the scale and heard that I am down three more pounds, I was re-motivated! YAY! I really am going to try to keep this up!!!

My stats:

Calories Burned: 547 (Treadmill)/482 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 2.88
Total Time: 59:47 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 123

I Ate It...And I am NOT Talking About Cake...

So--mountain biking. Really FUN! Really good exercise! Really nice day!!! And, yes, I ate it. I ate it within the first 5 minutes. While turning right. With the rest of my peeps waiting for me to come around the corner. Watching... But my friends are awesome! And Greg utilized the opportunity to teach the group how to fall appropriately. ::embarrassed grin::

Today I rode a bike:

+ for the first time in 13 years;
+ off of the road for the first time in a looooong time, if not ever;
+ over tree roots;
+ through mud;
+ through a stream...twice!;
+ up many hills (ok...confession: I walked up most hills);
+ down many hills; and
+ down a very steep hill!

I am so, so, so, so, so proud of me! I am glad I ate it in the beginning because it allowed me to get the fear of falling out of my system--no need to fear that I might embarrass myself and fall when I already have! Also, I did it! And it is something new!

Now, pictures of the damage (which didn't hurt too bad when I fell, or while riding...but once the adrenaline left my system and I stop moving it began to hurt quite a bit...but nothing I can't handle!):



I should mention that I am making my "tough girl" face here. Not wincing in pain as some may have thought. :)

Zak the Trainer Does Not Support My Weight Loss Goals

Hello! I started off the TEAM session today telling Zak the Trainer what I *thought* was some good news! I told him that I am going mountain biking after work tomorrow. I expected an outpouring of support and encouragement--after all, I was finding creative ways to exercise outside of the gym. But no--I did not receive this response, rather, Zak the Trainer said:

Ugh! You'd better not come in here Friday all injured or with cuts.

Really, Zak the Trainer?!?? REALLY?!!? So I informed him that he did not support my weight loss goals. And (would you believe it?) he had a pretty good comeback:

I, as your trainer, am supportive of your LONG TERM weight loss goals. If you were to get injured while mountain biking you would not be able to work out for weeks.

I was stumped. Touché, Zak the Trainer, Tou-ché.

My stats:

Calories Burned: 550 (Treadmill)/567 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 2.77
Total Time: 57:41 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 134

So, for the biking. My facebook friend and co-worker, Greg, has invited me along on what he claims to be a newbie bike ride. Through mountains. And "at least one stream crossing." I have not ridden a bike since I was 15. It is very embarrassing to go to school your sophomore year of high school with your eye swollen shut and cuts on your chin because you fell off of your bike. But I digress. I am borrowing a bike from...someone...I don't really know, Greg procured it for me. And my friend, Lisa, is giving me a helmet to use. So...I guess I am ready. I know it has been 13 years since I have ridden a bike, but I assume it's like...riding a bike! MWA AH AH AHA HA HA HA AH. ;)

Monday.

Weight Loss: None. I maintained. Which is good considering I *only* went to the gym on the 3 TEAM days and I ate like a normal person at the Chrysalis retreat. However, I want to get my rear in gear this week. For serious.

Stats (my calories are so low today...I am such a slacker...):

Calories Burned: 528 (Treadmill)/462 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 2.67
Total Time: 55:02 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 125