Eat, sleep, lift...

Joining twitter was probably one of the best decisions I've made in awhile....which clearly speaks volumes about my decision making.  Seriously though, I follow only a handful of people, but about 6 of them are comedians based out of CA.  I laugh all day....literally, all day.  I read some of them to Brian and he immediately shakes his head.  Meanwhile I'm over there trying not to wet the seat.  Most of them are complete toilet-talk, as mom would say, but perhaps their crude humor makes me feel ok about my own line of decency I seem to cross regularly.  Eh, what do ya do.....besides send the hilarious tweet to your best friend so both of you can enjoy it at the same time!  Duh...

What a long day.  My God, it was long.  This morning was one person to the next, and I'm fairly certain that I reached my word limit by about 10:30.  I had to recharge during my workout time.  I ended up having a great workout and was very pleased with my overall volume.  Even from 5 1/2 hours of sleep (yeah, let's not go there), I felt pretty good throughout my entire workout.  I did core, back, then triceps.  I discovered last week that when I train my back really heavy, its hard for me to do core work right after.  My back is tight, and so my strength and range of motion is hindered going in the opposite direction (like a crunch/sit-up).  Thus, I did core first and was glad I did so.  I thought I would do some cardio after weights, but after an hour and twenty minutes of lifting, I was spent.  No cardio....not that I miss it, let's be honest.  Overall, awesome lifting day.

I just polished off a serious amount of peanut butter.  It's my life.  Melt peanut butter, mix in cottage cheese, crushed almonds, and a little bit of stevia and agave nectar...holy moly, you can thank me now.  It will look like brown vomit...just take it to the face like a champ.

Ok, I am exhausted.  Sleeping in tomorrow until 6am...woohoo!  There's a 100% chance I will be up and already well into cleaning my house by 6:45.  Its a little absurd, but my OCD is out of control.  No down time.

Have a lovely Friday!

Fill'r up!

Ah yes, hump day.
I was able to start off my day with coffee in an actual mug...love that.  That first sip is intoxicating.  Best way I know how to describe it.  Here I am totally justifying addiction....eh, there are worse things...like illegal addiction....and license plates that say NEED4SPD.  That is dumb,...no one is intimidated by it,...and I'm fairly certain you've actually lost friends over it...way to go...

The morning was great...caught up with a few clients and laughed hysterically with some.  Speaking of mornings...here are the specifics on my breakfast #2 that a few of you asked about...I call it Almost-better-than-sex-egg-n-turkey-concoction:

(Makes 6)
5 egg whites
~1/3 c thawed and drained spinach
2 oz. ground turkey/turkey sausage
1/4 c cottage cheese (or any other cheese you want)
1/4 c crushed flax cereal (or any kind of "flake" cereal)...optional
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp stevia extract
Dash of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Whisk all ingredients together and add a little water if its way too thick.
3. Pour into muffin tin and top with a little more crushed cereal.
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown on top.

I top mine with sugar free syrup and it quickly becomes morning sex in a bowl.  I love it...probably my favorite meal of the day.  A little over 30g of protein in that meal alone...that's what I'm talking about baby!  I should post my recipe for pumpkin pancakes as well...topped with peanut butter...again, almost better than sex....depending on the day...

Ok, so today was just cardio...4 mile run...comfortable pace, heartrate around 155-160.  I honestly felt good by the end.  I thought I'd be more sore from yesterday's leg workout, but I was good to go.  Butt is sore, but that is manageable...its the quads that kill me.  Really looking forward to tomorrow's workout...back and core.  The wide grip pull-ups are coming along...up to 4 sets of 8-10 bodyweight.  It always amazes me how one small change in hand positioning can make a HUGE difference in difficulty.  Narrow grips are almost fun compared to wide.  But then again its all relative from person to person...

8:46 and there's a sink full of dishes....oh, and that load of laundry I intended to fold yesterday?...yup, still sitting there.  Champion procrastinator.  I figure if you're going to do something, do it right :)

Night!!

Empty bowl

There I was...driving down the highway towards work....about 15 minutes away...then I realized I forgot my "2nd" breakfast.  You would have thought someone crapped on my windshield and insulted my mom.  I about lost it.  I looked at the clock and knew I had absolutely no time to turn around....believe me, if I did, I would.  I am chronically scheduled and planned, so when I forget something its like the onset of Armageddon.  Not to mention, if I don't eat every 3 hours, I get cranky.  Things the world does not need...

Sooo, I had to eat meal #3 in place of meal #2.  At 8:30 in the morning I was gnawing on chicken and spinach.  I love chicken....but I was not happy about eating it before noon.  I made a few adjustments to get in all my calories, but I was pretty darn hungry by dinner.  Giant salad with grilled pork tenderloin, tomatoes, and cottage cheese....rocks my world.  Right now it doesn't take much, let's be honest.

Workout today was great.  Legs and biceps.  I started on leg press, so by the time I got to squats it was just plain comical.  I cranked the weight up on hamstring curls, which was awesome...despite the fact that sitting on the toilet tomorrow will be painful.  Thank God for handicap rails.  Bicep routine went well.  Really trying to work on my left side contraction.  I lose it way before my right gives out and its extremely frustrating.  I naturally want to cock that shoulder back and let my rear delt and lat help out.  So fighting that urge on reps 9 and 10 is just that,...a fight.  The body is very smart in that sense.  It will find the path of least resistance until you tell it not to.  So keep telling it not to!
Thankfully, no cardio today.  There will be time for that tomorrow...hump day.  Woohoo.

I trained my sister-in-law today for the first time.  After baby #2 she is ready to get back in shape.  She's always been more of a "cardio queen", so pushing her on the weights was great.  We laughed, she was probably cursing me in her head, but all in all it was awesome.  I always appreciate friends/family coming to me for workout advice/training.  It lets me know they trust me and will therefore allow me to push them.  I'm good at that.  I push.  Is that a legitimate talent because that's pretty much all I do. 
Kelly got a good workout, pushed through the tough moments, and probably went home to tell Payton that "Aunt Mena is craaaazzyyy in the gym!"  Its ok, I get it...

Time to cook some more meat for the next couple of days, clean dishes, and fold the load of laundry that's been sitting in my floor since Saturday.  Eh,...no fun.  Have a great night.  Tomorrow awaits...

Still sweating...

At 8:00 this morning she made my day and didn't even realize it...

If you can't appreciate that, I feel sorry for you.  We cannot be friends.

Today was an interesting and eventful day to say the least.  It started off pretty normal for a Monday and then by 3pm there we are without power and sweating like criminals as the thermostat continued to rise well above the 72 degrees its normally on.  I decided right then and there that I have no desire to do hot yoga, work outside, or live in Kenya.  Yes, we are spoiled with air conditioning...and if ever I develop a problem with that, I'll let you know.  Until then, I will continue to cope with the nosebleeds I get from jacking the AC up......seriously, twice yesterday...

As far as workouts, I took Saturday off (unintentionally), and then did intervals yesterday.  I prefer to take Sundays off, but I ended up having coffee for 5 hours with a friend/mentor on Saturday, which sort of caused a domino effect on the rest of my day.  It was worth it...and you would think we could have solved all the world's problems after that.  Nope.  Not even our own.  But I had a nice coffee-buzz going and was pretty much ready for anything after that.

Today's workout went well...I felt a somewhat mentally distracted, but got through it.  I hit chest, shoulders, core, and finished with a 3 mile run.  I honestly do not like doing shoulders after chest, but I also need to hit them twice a week.  So fitting them in on Monday is about as good as I can do right now until I switch my split again in a few weeks.  I might have to go back to legs on Wednesdays.  Ugh.  Hump day is long enough, I know,...this could get ugly.  Onward I roll...

I got to see my nieces today.  Well, Payton was actually asleep, but I still peeked in on her while I was there.  She was laying spread eagle on her back with one hand behind her head, one foot hanging out of the crib, and no diaper.  Like a champ.  She is rebelling against a diaper while she's mastering the art of "going potty" like a big girl.  At what age is it no longer cute to be caught with your pants down??  Just curious...

And its about that time...bedtime.  Leg day tomorrow.  I swear it feels like every time I turn around I have to squat.  Ahhh.  Story of my life.

Nice to see Kelsey just before she headed out to return to UNCG today.  Its been a good summer Kels!  Many laughs that's for sure...

Bedtime for MF...(my initials,...don't act so offended...ironic, I know).  Night folks!

Sweaty Sleigh Ride

I am completely irrational with my cat when I am tired and ready for bed. 
I just yelled at him because his poop smelled.  Seriously,...as if I expected a lavender/vanilla scented yankee candle to pop out of that joker.  He just looked at me as if to give me the finger...or paw...whatever.  Understandable, I get it.  However, he still licks his butt, thus I can't take him seriously...(one of my universal rules)...

Today ended up being a great day.  Had some excellent conversations with clients...although, I felt a little bad about getting on my 78 year old client about being late.  I mean my God, she's 78 years old.  I will purposefully be late to everything when I'm 78....just to say "screw you, I'm 78 years old...'on time' means absolutely nothing to me".  Truth is, we just give her a hard time because she, and her daughter, are never punctual.  It must be hereditary.

I also got to train a client I haven't seen in a few months, so that was awesome.  You're quickly reminded that training is more than just helping a body move better and get stronger.  You impact a mind and soul...and its ultimately about a relationship.  It was great to catch up, laugh, and make him appreciate normal breathing and a heartrate under 160.  A trooper for sure.

My workout today went better than I expected, considering how tired I was.  I hit a wall around 10:00 this morning that was about 2 notches below my 3pm wall.  It was pretty rough.  Nonetheless, once I started moving I was pretty good to go.  I had back and core...back weights were kept heavy...reps 5-10.  Then came some cardio.  This got comical.  I did the best cardio for people with ADD.  I started on the treadmill at the highest incline walking, then switched to the elliptical when the song changed on my iPod...back and forth.  By the time I got bored, it was time to switch.  Sort of like cardio for 6 year olds, but whatever it worked.  35 minutes went by a lot faster than I expected.  Here's the greatest part...
When I got done with weights I had to switch off the angry rock music...mainly because if I built up anymore aggression, I would have to enter cage fighting.  So for cardio I wanted to go with something that would not make me anymore angry than I'd already be from doing cardio.  Am I making sense?  Thus,...I ended up listening to my Christmas music mix.  I know, I've lost my mind.  I only listened to the faster songs, and delightfully discovered that the majority of Christmas songs are less than 3 minutes....which meant I was moving from one machine to the next like a cardio-crazed crackhead.  It was sick...I actually could not help but be happy while listening to that music.  I love it.  My thought process would go something like this:...."Oh man this walking is horrible...ooo Santa!....ugh, I can't feel my legs....ah yes, its the most wonderful time of the year!....this elliptical is straight from Satin himself.....deck the halls!..."   It was like I was so angry about the fact that I couldn't be angry because I was happy. You can see how this cardio session turned into a comic strip pretty quickly.  Eh,...whatever it takes to get it done...

Time for some sleep.
Great day....good friends...good workout...smelly cat poo...my day is complete...
Night!

Game...Set...Match

I woke up in sweats this morning.
I dreamed that my friend and I were in a tennis match...apparently I was going all out the entire time.  No worries, we won.  And thankfully I managed to stay in the bed the entire time.  Many a time I've woken up on the floor or standing straight up on the bed yelling like a lunatic.  My sister-in-law says my older brother does it as well.  And my younger brother used to sleep walk.  One morning my mom found him in the front yard.  She nearly freaked out....meanwhile the rest of us thought it was hilarious.  What are siblings for, right?...

Well, today was a good day.  All I had was cardio and I felt e-v-e-r-y step.  My legs are extremely sore from yesterday, so trying to maintain my average jog speed was work in itself.  I ran 4 miles then finished on the spin bike.  I know I know, I can't believe I got back on the dern thing, but I needed a break from the treadmill.  My Achilles was throbbing quite a bit on my left leg, so moving to the bike was probably smart.  But let me tell ya,...the second my rearend touched that seat, I was reminded of why I never get on there.  Just from the 15 minutes I was on there yesterday, my butt was beyond sore.  I want a doughnut seat for that thing.  I kept moving positions from sitting upright to leaning forward, to halfway forward...it was like choosing between seeing your mom or dad naked.  Either way, its ALL horrible.  Besides the extreme soreness, my cardio went well and I was pleased.  Done and done.

Tomorrow mama's got back and core.  Big day....can't wait.
Its not even 8:30 and I could crawl in bed right now...which is exactly where I'm headed.  My mom sent me this interesting article the other day about sleep/rest.  It basically said that our society views the day like this: prepare for the day...work...then rest.  With the idea that rest is what is needed as a result of a long hard day.  The problem with this is that we ultimately work until we are completely drained and then merely squeeze in sleep at the end.  Instead, this article suggested that our day should actually begin the night before.  That our perspective on sleep/rest should change and ultimately become a priority.  So what happens when we think of sleep as our preparation for the following day, we make it an essential part of our routine and value it as such.
It was very interesting and truly made me stop and think about how often I say "I'm tired" or "I'm exhausted"...simply because I didn't get in bed early enough or allow myself some down time in preparation for the week ahead.  Definitely something to think about...

On that note, I'm headed to bed.  4:30 will come early and there's a 99% chance I will groan and maybe even curse when the alarm goes off...

Night folks!!

No looking back

I am in love with avocado right now.  I can't explain it, but it is like a party in my mouth...a fatty, smooth, green partaaaayyy.  Yes, I realize I am more excited than I should be about it, but hey, its about the little things...

What a great day.
I woke up feeling a little sluggish, but by 6:30 was ready to roll.  My first client and I enjoyed several laughs as we discussed parenting skills.  Yes, this was a little comical because neither of us have kids...but we established some basics.  Our biggest thing was parents who will literally sit there and argue with a 4 year old about what they will/will not do.  Really?  That's a pretty standard understanding in my book....I will not argue with anyone who still wets the bed.  That basically covers everyone under the age of 7 and a handful of drunken roommates in college.  Either way, excellent rule...
No we are not experts, but judging by my shrink's completely full schedule, neither is anyone else...

On to my workout. 
I had legs and biceps today.  Seriously, awesome workout.  I was able to roll from one thing to the next, heartrate maintaining between 168 and 192.  I kept weights heavy, reps 10-12 on most, and finished with a 15 minute bike ride.  Yeah, it was the longest 15 minutes ever.  I am not a fan of the bike.  It hurts....in many ways.  La Tour de France is like one long chafing match and I can't imagine how those men feel.  Actually, I think they are nuts.  It was 9 degrees during their ride today. Nine.  There is not much I would want to do in spandex in 9 degree weather...definitely not ride a damn bike.  Anyway, it did help get some of the lactic acid build up out of my legs though.  So hopefully tomorrow will not be so rough.  Donkey kicks on the cables rocked my world today.  The rear was scream'n.  Great move to hit the upper glutes.  Just in case I need to moon someone, I want it to be delightful...and perky...
All in all, great workout.

Boy did I hit a wall about 2:30.  I came back from Target, (where I was on my mission to get avocados like it was pain meds), and I went straight to the massage room for a nap.  I was out.  I woke up about 20 minutes later just so angry.  I can't explain it...I think it started when I was little.  My mom would come in all happy, literally singing to wake me up...(you can imagine how traumatizing this is for a cynical child)...and anyway, I just would not say a word until I was about to walk out the door for school.  She said I was so angry in the morning.  I say she was borderline high.  Either way, I've never been a happy-wake-up person, and today was no different.  I woke up from my nap and literally started pouting.  How ridiculous.  By 4pm I was over it, thank God...for the sake of everyone.

Guess what,....still not drinking my coffee in the afternoon.  I honestly think Zimm broke me of that habit.  Ugh, mad but ok with it at the same time.  I think I've just switched habits....now its a second B-12 supplement and a glass of green tea around 2:30.  100% natural baby...its about as close to "going green" as I'm going to get.  Thanks Zimm ;)  Time to start prying me away from another addiction of mine....take your pick...(except shoes, I will defriend you)...

Well, another day in the books.
Tomorrow awaits.
I'll leave you with this one last thought to marinade on for a bit....

"Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit."

Beep Beep...who got the keys to da jeep?!

First of all, its 159 days til Christmas...yes, I start counting early.  I even watched Home Alone I last night to get me in the mood.  Still my favorite movie and not surprisingly, I can recite every single line.  (My other talent). 

I got to spend Saturday with my sister-in-law and my two nieces.  We even did some grocery shopping and I pushed Payton around in one of those carts with the car attached to the front.  You know the ones...as if I'm not dangerous enough with the cart by itself,...let's strap a child to the front.  I should have worn a fanny pack to complete the look.  I can't tell you how many times I ran into a display.  Poor Payton probably got whiplash.  At one point I look down and she's got her left leg propped up and hanging out with one hand on the steering wheel.  It was the G-rated version of Pimp My Ride.  We had a great time, which was topped off when she dropped her pants in the middle of the parking lot to use the bathroom.  Classic.  I would've given her candy to go #2...

Cardio this weekend didn't exactly go as planned.  I thought for sure I'd get out Saturday morning for a little 6-miler...uuhhh...not so much.  After staying up a later than normal the night before, I overslept and had to settle for 4.  Sunday I stuck to a combination walk/jog on the treadmill for 40 minutes.  Nothing exciting.  And the only good thing about hitting days back to back was that I could just focus on my lifting today...which proved to be plenty.  I was extremely tired this morning even before I started.  Everything felt heavier than normal, which I hate.  But, the reality is that everyday will not feel like a great day.  You just have to move forward, push harder.  I did chest, shoulders, and core.  Reps 8-12.  Hard core workout...feels like I have gas....just my lower abdominal muscles cursing me.

So I won't get into it too much right now, but I am not doing the November show.  Like I said before, I talked to my doctor and its just best right now if I postpone the stage until next year.  Its disappointing, but its life.  Change of focus for the time being, but still headed in the right direction.

So the biggest thing for me now is to get my metabolism back up.  Because I had to keep my calories a little lower since April, ( not knowing if I was going to do the show in November), my maintenance level has dropped, and the amount of carbs my body can handle has decreased as well.  Time to bring those numbers back up.  This can be tricky, but thankfully the body is very adaptive and should respond easily over time.

I'm seriously about to fall sleep sitting straight up.  Got a tough leg day coming up and need some good rest. 

Great to see Kels, Zimm, and Morv today!!  Yall make my day :)

Another round please!

I can hardly move right now....just got home from my massage and still covered in massage-lube.  I was whining like a little baby during the whole thing.  Sweating, cursing, and every now and then had to tell her to stop because I honestly thought I was going to throw up.  The last place I want to be while throwing up is on a massage table, practically naked, with my face buried in a head rest that looks like a toilet seat.  That costs many a cool point right there.

I was looking forward to it all day though because my low back was killing me.  I was demonstrating an exercise yesterday afternoon and must have tweaked it or something because it was stilling hurting to walk today.  But, Ellen was fully successful in beating the shit out of me during the massage.  At one point, I was unable to focus on my back because my entire body was numb and I'm fairly certain I almost cried...

Workout went well.  I was exhausted before I even began, but once this train got rolling I was good to go.  Back, core, then 4 mile run.  I kept reps 10-12 on everything, and incorporated a couple of exercises I haven't done in months, so that was a nice change.  The run was not exactly horrible, but my calves were pretty tight and would cramp up every so often.  I find that if I focus on the distance rather than the time, its a littler easier mentally to get through.  Eh whatever...got through it...onward we roll...

I trained my mom and mother-in-law today.  Does that qualify for workers' comp?  Just curious.  Actually, it is totally fine and almost comical to watch my mom.  I clearly got my athleticism from my dad...bless her heart.  She doesn't enjoy the discomfort of lifting, but comes in and gets it done anyway.  What a trooper...a menopausal trooper...

Big day tomorrow.  Clean, workout, then bar.  Ha.  Seriously though,....its our "going away" party for Krishinda and Morven.  Not sure how I feel about drinking in front of my clients.  Siiiiiiiiiiiikkkee...not phased, totally fine.  And I think that was the first time I've used that word since 1994...and for good reason.

Ok, time for bed.  Have a great night and be ready to roll tomorrow! :)

50% natural...50% not so much

Hump day never ceases to amaze me.
It feels longer than it actually is...the "hump" grows every week, I swear.  But all in all a great day.  I was able to spend some quality time with a couple of clients who are going through some "rough patches" if you will.  So you know me, Miss Positive Patty, here to save the day.  Riiiiight.  Truth be told, I struggle to see the positive in many situations and prefer the "worst case scenario" approach.  Hence one reason why I have anxiety.  Shocker.  But its definitely hard for me to watch clients/close people in my life who are generally "happy" people, struggle with depression or ultimately feel hopeless.  Part of me wants to yell, "You're a happy person!...What's wrong with you?!  If YOU lose hope, I am screwed because my glass is already half empty!!"  Ok, things not to say.  But seriously, it was great simply to offer encouragement and even add a little humor to their day.  What a reminder to enjoy the "good" days....

Speaking of good days...today I had a leg workout.  Oh the irony.  I was actually pretty pumped for it....why, I have no clue.  I did legs, biceps, and finished with some cardio.  I'll definitely be ready when my lifting schedule gets back to normal next week.  My days are a little off right now and I am having anxiety about it.  Story of my life.

Workout:
Squats  15, 12, 10, 8
Alternating leg press 3 x 10 each
Hamstring curls  3 x 10
Walking lunges 3 x 8 each
Leg ext 3 x 10, drop set on #3
Lat bar curls 4 x 10
Alternating incline curls (8x)/ss EZ bar curls (8x)  4x
Cardio

I am pooped.  Returning from vacation has been a very rude awakening and beat me over the head every single day this week.  One more day and then I get to sleep in on Friday....6am here I come baby. 

I just cooked a chicken breast that literally weighed 18oz.  Hormone-free my ass.  The chicken was sporting a DD before heading to the factory.  Sure, I'd love to eat organic EVERYTHING if I could, but my God its expensive.  Yesterday I blew through 6 eggs, 4 oz of turkey, and 12 oz of chicken in protein products alone...there's absolutely no way I could afford organic.  So, I deal with oversized chicken breasts, save money, and ingest animal steroids on a daily basis.  Yum.

Ok, time for bed.  Its 9pm and I have reached a point beyond worthlessness.  Thursday awaits...along with my sanity.  Night :)

Tuesday smack down

Tuesday is generally one of my favorite days....its not nuts like Monday, its not long like Thursday, its just a very non-controversial day.  Today, Tuesday punched me in the face and then proceeded to drag me by my hair until I was ready to cry "uncle" by the afternoon. 
I got to work extra early to make sure I was mentally prepared for the day, and honestly felt pretty good.  By 9:15 I hit I wall.  I was dizzy, exhausted, and just wanted a nap...ridiculous.  And I truly hate when I start to feel like that prior to a workout.  As if its not going to be hard enough, let's add some fatigue on top of it.  Geez.  I had chest, shoulders, and core today.  I kept weights as heavy as possible, but was honestly struggling during my first exercise.  Everything just felt heavier than normal...so I gave it what I had, finished with a 4 mile run, and that was about all I could do...

By 3:30 my head was on the desk and I literally fell asleep for a few minutes while writing out workout plans.  The phone woke me up.  Stupid phone.  3:45-5:30 was pretty much a blur, and I was surprised and pleased to finish the day without banging my head against the wall.  Seriously though, it was great to be back at work, interact with clients, and just be on my normal-yet-severely-ridiculous schedule.  I enjoyed telling them about my trip to Texas and the many "this would only happen to me" stories.  Speaking of, Lora I was in a mini nightmare on my first flight back from McAllen.  It was a smaller jet...maybe 70 people total.  I start counting to make sure my eyes were not deceiving me before we boarded...yup, 13 kids....13.  I think I nearly went deaf from turning up my iPod so high.  It was 1:00 in the afternoon and I knew these little rascals were already at level 8 on a serious sugar high.  I was pretty much doomed.  Needless to say it was a long flight, but thankfully, there was no crying.  If they had started crying, I would have as well...just before I threw something...

One thing I did learn in Texas was that when a Hispanic woman offers you the "mild" sauce, and you're a white chick with a weak stomach, just say no.  There is nothing "mild" about it and you will likely lose your esophagus.  Lesson learned.

Ryan and I got in a couple of really good workouts while I was there.  My back is still sore from Friday, and my calves from the 6 mile run on Sunday.  Yes, you read correctly.  Zimm asked me if I'd lost my mind...yes, the answer is yes.  I just got in this weird zone and kept going...I will stop right there trying to explain it because I myself do not understand.  I told Brian today that I don't like the fact that I dislike running so much....so perhaps if I do it more, I'll start enjoying it.  Which is probably crap because if you think about it, if you really dislike someone and then go spend a bunch of time with them you don't necessarily like them more.  You might actually look interested in what they have to say but only because you are trying your hardest to figure out a way to care less.  I get it.  My experiment might fail.  We'll see.

Brian also pointed out today that I never post anything serious on twitter.  Ok, let me see if I can explain this....its called tweeting for goodness sake...I can't even take that word seriously.  And quite frankly, it really bothers me when people take themselves too seriously.  Is there a "Chinese proverb" writer on twitter?...exactly.  I will be serious when the time is right...and sharing a precious thought with my followers via phone with the possibility that they could be reading it on the jon, just doesn't motivate me to dispense deep, thought provoking material.  Because at that moment, I come second to a bowel movement.  I'd rather say something random to perhaps evoke a smile or laugh and then go on about my day.

Great to catch up with the Zimmerman bros today.  Nice workout guys... :)  And T, why was the plate on your back during planks a 35 and not a 45??!

Alright, I am already nodding off and I still need to clean my dishes.  Ugh....Night!

She's baaacccckkkkk...

Holy crap....its after 10 and this will be the fastest post in the history of mankind.
I am officially back from my vacation in Texas and in the process of doing laundry, baking chicken, scooping Oscar's shitty litter box, etc...in preparation for the beginning of my workweek tomorrow.

It was a great vacation...but adjusting to Ryan's schedule is like kicking me in the face...and then the crotch.  I am used to getting up at 4:30, work until 6 or 7, then in bed between 9 and 9:30.  Ryan's schedule is exactly the opposite since he coaches baseball.  Example...I get down there Thursday night around 11 because Delta Airlines decided it would be cool to keep me in the Atlanta Airport an extra 2 hours, (for the record, not cool).  I head straight to the baseball field where they are finishing up a double header.  I finally get to hold my husband for the first time in 6 weeks by 11:45 that night after the game.  He's ready for some food, so we grab food, a couple of drinks, and bed by 2:30.  Up at 9:30 the next day, workout, eat, then head to the baseball game.  Bed by 2:30.  Repeat.  My body was cursing me.  Talk about a schedule adjustment!  Thankfully, I was able to get a full 7 hours of sleep each night,...otherwise someone's life would have been in danger.

Did I relax a little and enjoy some "junk food?"  Yes.  I had french fries (ok, only a handful), but that was the first time I'd eaten those in at least 5 years.  Beer, peanut m&m's, and I even tried fried pickles.  I lost 2 pounds.  Simply getting in the amount of food/protein I need to maintain weight was hard when I slept in so late everyday.  It was nice to splurge a little, but my body is eager to get back into my normal routine.  Well, I say that now, but 4:30 tomorrow morning will come extremely early.  Ugh...

Ok, I've still got to pack my gym bag and fold some laundry....
Mer is officially back and ready to roll.  Night folks :)

Strip search

The past 2 days have felt like 4, and I am going to completely crash tonight.  Its 8:30 and I'm not even halfway done with this monstrous of a salad I made.  I got all lettuce happy....started chopping, and the next thing I knew the cutting board looked like a salad bar exploded.  My mouth hurts from chewing.

Normally, I only have cardio on Wednesday, but I had to change my workout schedule this week since I'm leaving tomorrow.  So I had chest, biceps, and sprints today.  I honestly thought my weights on flat and incline DB press would be more, but I think the fact that my shoulders were so sore from Monday effected today's lift.  I tapped out sooner than I'd hoped, but some days are harder than others.  Overall, I was pleased with the workout despite the weight being slightly lower than expected...

Workout:
Flast DB press 4 x 6-8
Incline DB press 4 x 6-8
DB flys 4 x 6-8
Cable flys (12x)/ss push-ups to failure  3 sets
Standing BB curl - drop set 4 x 7/7
Alternating incline curls 4 x 8 each
Sprints

So the plan is to just do cardio tomorrow...before I have to sit on a plane for 5 hours and deal with screaming children and the one person with flu-like symptoms in the middle of July.  Needless to say, the combination of both makes for a long trip.  And its inevitable that someone wants to tell me their life story on the plane.  I have a sign on my forehead with flashing lights that says "I want to know everything!  Tell me!"  Its absurd.  I now wear my headphones even if my iPod is off from the moment I step on the plane.  I just want to sit there, enjoy a book, listen to music, and keep myself calm enough so I don't react to the child behind me kicking my seat like its a soccer ball.  Don't get me wrong, I will turn around in a heartbeat and give him the "I no longer think your cute and Santa doesn't like you and he's not real" look.  Generally, they catch on....I seem to have that effect on kids who don't know me. But my point is, that when I get a little vacation...I need it, and long for some time to mentally and physically relax.  I'd say its about that time...

When I get back, I've got some decisions to make about this next competition.  Truth is, I need to talk to my doctor about a few concerns, and that will ultimately determine if I will do the show in November.  I have about 10 days to decide, and if my doctor is not in favor of it, I would really struggle with going against her advice/warning for the sake of wanting to get on stage.  While I believe there are times when you allow your desire and drive to override outside doubts, there are certainly times when you have to be wise and consider possible long term consequences.  So that's where I am at the moment...

Well, I've got lots of packing to do...and figure out a way to only take 3 pairs of shoes.  Not likely.  And then there's the issue of packing protein powder.  I always portion it out beforehand into little baggies.  Yeah, you can see where this is going....powder...in small bags...going through security....they look at me like I am already guilty and there I go being pulled aside for a search.  My "drugs" smell like chocolate...now they really hate me.  Ah yes, my travel experience is always entertaining to say the least...

Alright...time to start packing...night!

Fire on a stick. Now hold it...

I've eaten 14 egg whites today.
I might start laying them myself pretty soon.
Time to catch you all up to speed...after a holiday weekend I feel all out of whack... 

Weekend was great, and I was able to get some much needed rest, watch some baseball (since my life does not have enough already), and squeeze in some great workouts.  Saturday was all cardio...55 min jog.  It felt like 85...and in this heat I was shocked I didn't kill over.  Honestly, the only thing that kept me going was my new play list on the pod.  I'm on this weird rock kick,...some Offspring, Staind, Linkin Park,etc...they scream sweet-nothings in my ear to keep this tank rolling.  Sunday was my day off, and boy did I need it.  I wasn't in the best "mental state" if you will, and so a day to take it easy, shop, do whatever, was nice.  That's the pleasant way of saying I was one anxiety attack away from a hard bottle of liquor and a straight jacket.  Totally serious.  And on top of that, my cul-de-sac turned July 4th into Mardi Gras....fireworks every night since Friday.  At one point, I peered from my blinds like a creeper to find 11 kids running around, one laid out on my curb, and another on a unicycle.  It was a mini nightmare/circus.  Social services would have had a hay day...

The 4th was very low key for me...a couple of clients, an awesome workout, and then the pool for the afternoon.  Let's talk about the workout.  I was pretty pumped to get back to my strength/power days after going a little lighter last week.  And it certainly paid off.  My lifts were up, and my recovery exactly where I wanted it.  For the first time I was doing 5 sets of WG pull-ups with added weight.  I was pumped about this because just to pull my ass up alone is quite enough.  And then I think back to days when I weighed less than 100 pounds and struggled to do 1 pull-up...and now over 30 pounds heavier and getting the job done (well, its all relative).  Oh how weight can be deceptive...

Had a great leg workout today....2 words that feel like they should not be in the same sentence.  I didn't want to go to complete failure so that I could hit legs again this weekend when I go visit my husband in Texas.  I absolutely LOVE working out in a new gym when I'm on vacation.  Different machines, different clientele, and no distractions.  If its a true meat-head gym, even better.  My adrenaline flows, I feel the energy of others, and I'm like a kid in a candy shop....a pothead at Woodstock....my mom at a happy convention.....you get the picture.  Sooo...I went fairly heavy, kept my rest time short, and hit a few supersets in the process...

Workout:
Squats  15, 12, 10, 8
Walking lunges (25 yds)/ss box jumps (15x)  3 sets
Hamstring curls on machine 3 x 15
Leg extensions 3 x 15
Triple threat on stability ball  3x
Lunge jumps 3 x 20, 30 sec between sets
Ab roll on  ball 3 x 12
Decline oblique crunches/ss pilates heel touch
crunches on ball

All in all, great workout and excitedly looking forward to chest day tomorrow.  I just sounded like a dude.

Something was really on my mind today,...I'll try to give you the short and sweet version...
I think sometimes we forget how much influence/power those closest to us have.....on our personal perception, as well as our drive and determination when facing the world on a daily basis.  From an athletic standpoint, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to surround yourself with driven, passionate, honest, and genuine people.  And I carefully choose these words because their drive and passion will motivate you,....their honesty will keep you grounded,....and their genuineness means they share your struggles and celebrate your successes.  The first 3 are huge, and have great impact on day to day training and pushing through hard moments, but the last trait is key.  There are plenty of people who can recognize a victory or a struggle, but few can set aside personal pride and insecurities long enough to bask in your moment.  And on the flip side of that, we should all strive to be that person for someone else.  You have more influence than you might think...

There was my 2 cents of insight for the night.  Ha.  Honestly, I could go on and on but I might get carpal tunnel.  Its time for a little tosh.O and then rest...
I went to bed at 8:22 last night and tonight's efforts do not look so good...have a great night folks!