11.5 hours left...

Last day of 2011...
I slept in until 8:30 and then went for a 5 mile run.  It was my second day of 5+ miles (which I never do), so my body is not happy with me right now.  Shocker.  We're on vacation so I just have to do what I have to do in terms of activity.

Its been nice to have a few days away from the normal routine and craziness of life, but at the same time I find comfort in structure and like to feel productive.  Needless to say, there is little productivity going on with 3 couples under the age of 30 staying at a beach house for 4 days.  This is like college...minus the frat parties and walk of shame.  We're having a great time and gearing up for tonight's festivities.  Yes, I will probably have to take a nap just so I can make it to midnight.

As far as New Years resolutions go I haven't really made one yet,...ha...way to plan Meredith.  What are some of your resolutions?? 

Ok, game time.  Here we come 2012!!  Enjoy the last day of 2011...

Counting down...

Tuesday?...Wednesday?...my days are completely screwed up and honestly it feels like one long Monday.  I am pretty exhausted and looking forward to our New Years festivities with friends.  Although, I do find it ironic that we often spend the first day of the year with a hangover and convinced our heads will explode at any moment.  Right,...nothing says Happy New Year like a hurting liver...

Workout today was good even though I wasn't totally all there.  I felt a little distracted...I hate that feeling.  Anyway, it was leg day.  I switched up my leg press today and went on the assisted pull-up machine instead.  The only problem was that I had to get death-grip on the thing to keep from shooting in the air every time my knee came up.  It was a good change,...more glutes involved...and will probably feel it tomorrow during my sprints.
I measured my quads the other day because I could have sworn they looked bigger.  But its the winter-and-everything-looks-bigger-when-pale phenomenon.  Not having a tan is about as fun as mono.  I don't enjoy it, and I'm sure that everyone who has to look at me doesn't enjoy it either.  Some people have beautiful fare skin....I'm not friends with you people during the winter because I just look like I have pneumonia.  My point was that my quads have not grown and I was just having "a moment."  Sigh of relief...

Tomorrow is back and core and then cardio until Monday...next week I am starting my strength phase, creatine cycle until the end of February.  That's the plan if I am doing the June 20th show.  Dieting will start February 18th.  That day will be here before I know it.  Brace yourself...

Ok, time for bed...night!!

Jingled-out...

Its the morning after Christmas and I feel like the holiday train ran me over.
I actually had to set my alarm to wake up at 7:30...haven't done that in a long time.  Yesterday was jam-packed with events, eating, opening gifts, repeat.  After 13 hours of family I was certain of 2 things...1) The song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of The Year" holds way too much irony, and 2) Therapy is a wise investment.  We have a close family and honestly function fairly well together, but 13 hours is 13 hours.  Its the extreme opposite of solitary confinement and yet both might make you lose your mind.  And actually, our holiday began the night before with a church service and then Christmas with my father-in-law's side of the family.
The church service was great, especially when my husband's family was gathered around the communion table at the front of the church passing around the bread, and I dropped mine on the floor.  For the record, the 5 second rule does not apply to the body of Christ.  Ryan bumped me, I drop it, my brother-in-law starts laughing, I start laughing,...and we basically managed to ruin any seriousness expected in that moment.  It reminded me of my older brother, who, no matter the event, would start laughing at the most inappropriate time possible.  Prime example....My mother's aunt passed away a few years ago and we all traveled to the funeral to support my mom.  My brother, his wife, me, and a few other distant family members were piled in a pew like sardines.  Next thing I know my brother has his head down and is laughing.  What is wrong with my family?  His shoulders are shaking, which causes mine to shake, and it was a domino effect.  It finally got so bad that he had to get up and walk to the back of the church with the screaming babies.  There he was, 27 years old...standing at the back of the church with upset babies....not because he was crying...but because he was laughing.
Another moment when my mom probably contemplated beating us.

Anyway, Christmas was great and I absolutely loved watching my niece rip into her gifts.  Even though she's young, she quickly new that the huge pile of presents was hers.

One of the highlight gifts was this hat that my younger brother Jordan gave my mom.  The obnoxious thing had a button on the side to turn it on and it played music, lit up, and moved back and forth on the top.  It was ridiculous and perfect for my mom.  She is nuts.  Happy and nuts.  From the moment everyone walked in, she took this salt shaker bottle filled with bells and was "sprinkling" it over everyone's head saying it was "jingle seasoning."  Yes, this is the gene pool I come from.  I mean, look at this woman...THIS is the epitome of happy on Christmas:

2nd best gift....as you know my grandpa passed away in May, and well ever since then his stuff has been sorted through, distributed, or sold.  Well, except for a few things....
He always wore cut off shorts and a Hawaiian shirt...time of year was irrelevant.  So, my parents wrapped up 2 of his classic "outfits" and gave them to my brothers...it was great.  The only rule was that you couldn't wear underwear or shoes.  Papa never did.  So that was the rule.

Ah yes, what a memorable day.
We laughed, cried, ate like we haven't seen food before, opened gifts, and thanked God for so many blessings.  It was awesome.

Whew, today will be filled with cleaning, preparing meals for the week, and a chest workout.  I've got to "detox" a little bit from all the sugar yesterday.  My pancreas is twitching.  Actually looking forward to some plain food today.

Ok, that's it for now...hope your Christmas was a blessing and entertaining to say the least :)
Merry Christmas from the Falcon house!

Baggy like I like it

Tonight, I laugh to keep from crying...or throwing a very large breakable object at the wall.  Yes, one of those days.

I say that, but in the big scheme of things it was not horrible by any means...just no down time.  There is certainly something to be said for a few quiet moments everyday.  The only quiet time I got today was in the bathroom, which, should have been sufficient considering I go more than a pregnant woman with a UTI,...but it wasn't.  Mentally, I was operating in 5th gear all day...my God, its still going.  I just had a conversation with my cat asking how his day was...like he is going to answer.  Truth is, his response would make me angry.  "I ate...slept...licked myself...slept...ate..."  Ah, worthless animal.  Five bucks says I'm cleaning up vomit tomorrow just because I said that.

Aside from a typical hump day, I had a great leg workout.  Kelsey was in there for the beginning of it, so it was great to catch up and laugh while I pushed....literally.  I did 4 sets of 10-12 on everything.  Squats were brutal since I did them after leg press, but I was pleased with 175 the whole time.  Since I'm not on a strength phase, I'll take that weight for now.  In about 8 weeks though, that's not going to cut it.  I finished with some core work and then waddled my way to the shower.

I ran into one of my friends the other day who also competes.  We had a great conversation about the year and various shows in the area.  But what stood out to me the most was how we both struggle sometimes during the "off" season.  Mentally, you just have to brace yourself because you put on some size, you're carrying a little more fat, your pale as a ghost, and honestly feel big as a barn sometimes.  Its hard.  You just have to keep reminding yourself that its necessary to be stage-ready in a few months...its the only way to get through it without hurting someone.  Unfortunately, she rebounded pretty bad after her last show.  It happens to competitors if they're not careful to reverse-diet and let their bodies adjust.  She'd dieted hard for over 3 months and after her show just wanted to EAT.  So she did...and continued to without gradually increasing calories.  She regrets it, and I understand why.  Her show was early November and she's already up 15+ pounds.  Hard lesson to learn, but its happened to many and you pick up and move on.

Speaking of, I had a client ask me today if I've lost weight...HA...I asked him if he was blind.  Definitely not.  I told him it was because for the first time in 2011 I was not wearing spandex.  Partly true.

Well, I can't believe this, but I've got about an hour before bed to do what I want.  Woohoo!  Honestly, I don't even want to move.  I want to sit here and type until I get carpol tunnel.  Eh,...I've got Christmas gifts to wrap and other things to take care of before Thursday calls my name.
Have a great night!

Staggering Start

Tuesday kicked me in the face.
I was in my coma-like sleep when the alarm went off and I literally fell out of bed and headed to the bathroom to slap on my war paint and get started with my day.  My eyes were bloodshot, eyelids were droopy (which should never happen at 28 years old by the way), and my right forearm kept going numb while applying eye shadow.  What a positive image, right?!...ha...here we go...

The morning was just one thing into the next.  Busy, but good to see college kids back in town.  Zimm is back (woohoo) and offering some good energy to the gym...even though I give him and Brian crap for talking in 3rd person like they're in some dramatic Matrix-like movie.  Entertaining to watch, even though sometimes I wonder if they even know what they're saying. ;)

Workout today was good.  My chest is extremely sore from yesterday, so hitting shoulders hard today was a trip in itself.  My mind was a little distracted, but about 20 minutes in I was good to go.  Some days you just have to let your body lead.  Turn the mind off from everything else, and JUST MOVE.  Today was one of those days.  I finished with sprints and now have a shooting pain in my rear and is extremely uncomfortable.  I can honestly feel it every single step I take with my left foot.  Tomorrow I'll have to do some much needed stretching and get on that foam roller like a handy snack and have at it...
Does anyone know what I just said?....Me neither...

I received over 3 pounds in coffee today as Christmas gifts.  Fabulous.  I will be caffeine drunk until Easter.

Ok, time for bed...I've got other stuff I need to cover, but right now I can hardly think straight and its almost 9:30.  My body hates me.  Night night.

Strap in...it's Christmas time!!!

Its Sunday morning and I am finally sitting down to some chicken and sweet potatoes.  Honestly, I can eat chicken anytime of day...shocker.  I went through a phase right out of college where I was eating tilapia for breakfast.  Parents didn't like that too much.  Perhaps one more reason they were kindly "nudging" me out the door.  I get it.  At 23, I wasn't exactly thrilled to be in the basement of my parents house eating fish before 6am either.  Eh, I survived,...and can now pay my therapist with the money I saved.  There's some serious irony in there...

So I just finished cooking my meals for the week.  Yes it takes awhile (about 2 hours for me), and yes the kitchen is a disaster during the process, but I don't have to think about what to eat Monday-Thursday.  If you're on the go during the week its the way to go.  Little tip there for ya....get on it.

It was a hectic week of workouts and I am glad to be taking the day off.  Some Sundays I get restless and feel like if I have energy I need to at least do something, but truth is I don't.  I need a day of rest to let my body recover and grow...and that's when it happens...when you rest, not during your workouts.  So today I plan to rest...and finish shopping.  Two of my favorite things.  Why can't they fit that in the song somewhere?  Right after "girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes" should be "spending some money and sitting on our asses"....apparently no one wanted my input.
Hard to believe Christmas is almost here.  The family events began yesterday with brunch and a game of Dirty Santa with my mom's side of the family.  That ended up entertaining to say the least.  Ironically, my dad opened both of the gifts I brought.  My cousin "stole" one of them:...

When in doubt, have your husband sign a jockstrap and then frame it....makes for an excellent gift.  The best part was when my 2 year old niece walks up and says "What's that?"....Yeah, explain a jockstrap to a 2 year old in one sentence that mentions absolutely nothing having to do with its actual function.  I've got to get used to this whole G-rated life.

Needless to say, we had a blast and kept it semi-clean.  I'd like to think I won that game...brought a jockstrap and another borderline-inappropriate gift, and walked away with a Coach purse.  Great way to start the week before Christmas.

Ok, time to wrap a few gifts and then finish up some shopping.  This week is going to fly by and before I know it I'll be back at another Christmas function "explaining things" to 2 year olds.  Don't worry, I go this...

Off day on my day off

You would think that with the day off my body would find sweet rest, lose track of time, and sleep until 10.  Ummm....not so much.  I was up at 4:30.  Part of it was out of habit and part of it was anxiety.  Honestly, I didn't know what to do with myself today.  Sure, I had a to-do list a mile long, but I felt out of place.  It was the most bazaar thing.  Yesterday I was so close to just saying to heck with having a day off, and just plan to go in like every other Thursday.  Its ridiculous, I know.  I don't know how to slow down and relax.  I felt like I needed to be at the gym running around.  Even though I stayed busy, something was just "off" all day.  Perhaps tomorrow will be better...

My leg workout yesterday was great...heavy, and great.  I stuck with rep series 12, 10, 8, 6 on most exercises and 10 on isolation moves.  I was extremely sore today.  My legs needed a break.  I did 40 minutes of cardio and then some core today.  Tomorrow will be back and sprints, so it was nice to have a lighter workout today.  My God, my quads hate me right now.

This is short and sweet...I can hardly keep my eyes open right now.  More words tomorrow...

Mo Mahi Mo Problems

Brussel sprouts.  I love them.  I halve them, spray with olive oil, sprinkle some garlic/sea salt, then bake them for about 40 minutes until the outsides are black/brown.  I am eating them right now with some over-priced fish.  Yes, I appreciate wild caught and support "all natural" with the best of them, but daggon if I want to spend $3.50 per serving.  Guess what?  In a few hours it will look the same as my hormone-infested chicken.  Its just a more expensive bowel movement.

Today was a great day.  It started off a little rough....as I've been taking ibprophen like tic-tacs, but thank God when "feeling nothing" is feeling awesome.  In combination with other pains, my left elbow is killing me.  Its a constant throbbing pain right where the long head of my tricep attaches...perhaps tendinitis, but honestly I've never had pain like this before for this long.  Surprisingly, the only time it does NOT hurt is when I'm lifting.  I did one heck of a chest workout Monday, and then shoulders today and nothing, no pain...then about an hour after my workout it was back.  Booooo...just annoying.
I was pleased with my weights this week though, and sprinting feels good.  The fact that my cardio is over in 20-25 minutes is a-m-a-z-i-n-g.  And it just took me about 12 seconds to type out that word.  Sad.

I had a client today going on about all the holiday functions and all-you-can-eat gatherings.  Ah yes, its that time of year.  She said she felt overwhelmed and like she had to eat at all these things even if she didn't want to.  Ok, no.  You go to a Christmas party to enjoy the fellowship, but no one is holding you down forcing bon-bons down your throat.  Its a choice.  If you have goals, then don't be afraid to tell others and be open about your health habits.  Truth is, they know they shouldn't go for a third helping of cheese dip, but its easier to label it as "obligatory holiday gorging" and head for the bowl.  Does that mean you can't enjoy anything at these events?  No.  But plan ahead.  Eat a little something before you go, always have a water in hand, and then set yourself a limit before you hit the door...4 different items, single serving of each.  Just an example.  That way you are mentally and physically prepared and do not feel completely deprived.  Just a thought...

Tomorrow is hump day....and my Friday.  I am taking Thursday off to JUST BE.  I need a little down time...24 hours will have to do for now.  I haven't planned much for that day, which is probably a good thing.  Hopefully it will be a quiet day....we'll see...

8:15 and I could sleep RIGHT NOW.  I need to wash my hair though...staff picture day tomorrow.  We are wearing blue.  For the record, I pretty much wear black everyday.  Thus, this picture is semi-false....oh for the sake of the team...

Ok, time for a little shut-eye...

Choosing Contentment

I don't normally blog on Sunday, but its been several days and I've got a few spare minutes while I down some breakfast. 

The past few days have flown by, and the stress level surrounding the holidays is always high for everyone I'm sure.  Its the only time of year I can drive by the ABC store in Mebane on a Saturday at 1pm and cars are actually spilling over into the neighboring lot.  Even the laid-back Mebane folk are on the verge of a holiday freak-out...

One of my clients said the other day that she feels in charge of everyone's happiness during the holidays...like, if she does not do everything perfectly someone will walk away disappointed and unhappy, which somehow reflects her value as a wife/mother/friend.  Ummm....no.  I was completely baffled and yet not surprised by this.  It saddened me that here's a woman trying to "be the best" and the judges of that are other flawed human beings with their own issues....3 of them being under the age of 16.  Are you kidding me?!  While I understand why she might have this mindset, its still so burdensome and such a lie.  Its not our responsibility to make others happy.  Happiness, or rather contentment is a choice.  You can be given everything in the world and choose to be unhappy.  Likewise, you can be in the worst of circumstances and choose to see the positive. 
I left her with a challenge....and honestly something I have to challenge myself with at times...and that was to simply do her best (not seeking perfection), be ok with it, and release herself from any notion that how others respond is a reflection of her value as a person.  Food for thought.

Well, workouts were solid this week.  Although, I'm ready to get back in my strength phase.  Maintaining is kind of boring to me....stupid ADD.  At the beginning of the year though, game on.  I might take a couple of days off beforehand, just to "get prepared" if you will.  Currently, I'm debating about doing a June show and an August show.  That's dieting from February to August.  Whew...

Ok, time to get the day rolling, have a relaxing Sunday....there's a reason its called the day of rest....use it :)

360mg of caffeine...yessss

After a restless night, I started my Wednesday with 4 cups of coffee.  You can only imagine how much I was sweating.  I was literally wiping sweat from my brow as I was putting on my make-up.  I might have to start wearing one of those spray bottles with a fan around my neck.  (Only socially acceptable in Disney World and at baseball games), but I may have to break a few rules for the sake of hygiene.  Might as well give me a matching fanny pack...

I had a fun morning with clients.  It began when a man I train responded to a few of my exercise instructions with "that's what she said"...how do you not laugh at that?  Made my morning quite entertaining to say the least.  A couple hours later I was working with two women and we started sharing ideas for white-elephant gifts.  If you've never played that game at Christmas you need to google it asap. Its always best to do it with funny gifts, and believe me the ideas were flying at 9:30 in the morning.  We're playing it with my mom's side of the family for the first time in 2 weeks and between my brothers and I, this will get interesting.  Odds are it will leave my mom shaking her head and then later calling me to say "there are moments when I question if my children are truly mine".  (I've heard this speech before and that is the basic thesis statement).  Anyway, it should be fun.

On to workout stuff.  Ah yes, leg day.  I started with leg press from a narrow foot position.  My quads were on fire and performing 4 sets before back squats is always brutal.  I was hurting.  It was a hard, but great workout.  It always amazes me how deflated I feel after a workout.  Glycogen stores are shot, muscles are fatigued, and generally I am mentally drained.  Its a weird, awesome feeling.  Ha.  On some level though, I do like knowing I don't have to run on leg day...mainly because I can hardly move much faster than 3mph.  It would be comical to watch if I tried though.

Long rainy day.
I am stuck in the recliner looking at my bowl of cabbage/chicken and not sure I can finish.  I am tired and ready to go to bed.  Sadly, I may force myself to stay awake for Modern Family...I need to end my day with a good laugh.  We all do.
Night folks!

Cream filled no-no

You would think I'd run out of words by now.  Amazing how that never seems to happen.

I am spent.  Today was a cloudy, dreary day and my body and mind felt the same.  Tuesdays are typically a little more "sane" for me, but today was a little different.  I had a lot on my mind...

My workout today was fast, but I got it all in.  I only did shoulders, and then finished up with sprints.  Having done short, hard sprints yesterday, my legs were tired to say the least.  I was very pleased with my shoulder workout though.  I love/hate working shoulders.  They've always been one of my hardest body parts to grow and see changes, which means I've been working them that much harder....so to actually see and feel changes is great.  I love a good shoulder-pump!  I'm such a gym rat...

Tomorrow is LEGS baby!...actually, I'm a little excited.  It means big, heavy weight and lots of wanting to crawl in the fetal position.  Hump day here I come.

So, I had a client today get through about 3/4 of his workout before he sat down and said he wasn't feeling well.  I go through my typical series of questions..."is it your head/stomach?"..."have you had anything to eat this morning?"..."what did you eat?".  His answer literally made any ounce of sympathy I was going to have (emphasis on the future tense), completely leave my body.  He said he had a doughnut from Dunkin Donuts.  Ummm...yeah,...that's why your body hates you right now.  He said "well I didn't know what to order".  Ok, this one is easy.  NOTHING.  You step away from the counter.  Am I wrong to think its pretty simple logic that eating a sugary doughnut just before working out is a bad idea for numerous reasons?!  Needless to say he finished his workout.  My god, it took him the first 35 minutes to burn that dern thing off...
Before lunch time I struggle to show sympathy,....actually, it pretty much applies all day, but especially for people who show up after eating a doughnut.

A lady asked me today what the best diet soda was.  Ok, moment of truth.  None of them.  They are all chemicals and sweetened with more chemicals that your body simply cannot process.  If your brain thinks its sweet, guess what, so does your body.  It will respond with the same insulin release as with regular sugar and promote fat storage.  Do your body a favor and drink more water.

Ok, its time for some zzzzzz's up in here!  Night people,...show up on Wednesday like you mean it!

Shut-up and train

Today was a rough start for me.
I simply did not feel mentally and physically ready for today...but who honestly is on a Monday, right?  The weekend was good, just busy.  I taught hip-hop on Saturday, which was fun and one heck of a workout.  I was drenched in sweat by the end and my feet were worn out.  I stayed and kept dancing for about 30 more minutes simply because at the start of the new year I'll be teaching 2 classes back to back and just need to get used to it.  Believe me, I was ready to sleep or cry or both after that.  I needed some rest.

I took Sunday completely off from working out and allowed myself a couple of hours just to sit in the recliner and watch trashy TV for a couple of hours.  My guilty pleasure is Real Housewives and now Baseball Wives.  Ha....their reality is a joke....but it keeps me entertained.  Why they didn't contact me for baseball wives is a mystery.  Umm....riiiiiight.  Anyway, I was in bed before 9 last night.

Today started with a bang and I was sweating by 6:30am.  Story of my life.  I had a great morning with clients....even when I had to give my "Ladies-you're-not-going-to-get-huge-by-lifting-a-10-pound-dumbbell!" speech.  Ugh.  It blows my mind how many women believe that lie, and its probably the most common misconception I have to deal with when it comes to women and fitness.  Its like no matter how much scientific evidence I provide and explain, some women think they are somehow the exception to the rule.  Yeah,...you're not.  Unless you're on roids...so start lifting.  Sometimes I just want to shake some sense into them...

My workout today was great.  Hard, but great.  I had chest/triceps and finished with sprints.  For the record, I absolutely love chest flys...whether dumbbell or cable.  I feel like my chest will rip open and I love it.  I am a sick human being.  I get it.  Weights were heavy and I was pleased with the day.  Tomorrow's workout will be short and a little hectic, but I'll get it in one way or another.

Nothing else too exciting to elaborate on right now.  I need to get in bed asap and get ready for Tuesday...night folks!

Midnight Walker

Ah yes, Thursday.
Apparently, my day began around 2am when I got out of bed, turned on the lamp, walked around for a second, talked a little bit, and then got back in bed.  Yeah, sooo, I have no recollection of this....Ryan just told me during dinner.  Looks like I'm losing it.
It reminds me of when my little brother used to sleep walk.  My mom would get all freaked out, and naturally, my older brother and I found it funny.  Well, that was until she found him in the front yard one morning.  Actually, its still pretty funny.

My legs are shot.
The leg workout I threw on myself yesterday proved to be pretty darn brutal.  And on top of the sprints I did today, getting up and down feels like an athletic event in itself.  I did 20 sets worth and went reps of 12, 10, 8, and then 6 on each exercise just to mix things up.  Oh I mixed it up alright.  I feel semi-crippled at the moment.
Today was back day then short hill sprints.  Weights felt great, and even the sprints were bearable.  Half the battle is simply being ok with being uncomfortable.  Honestly, if you can learn to focus on controlling your breathing while sprinting (and especially during the rest breaks), you'll see and feel a HUGE difference.  Driving your heartrate up is going to send your body into a panic-mode as is....so, its important to keep your breathing under control as to not get dizzy, hyperventilate, etc...then of course, if you go too hard too fast, back off.  By the end, I was spent.  I wanted to just sleep.  No such luck.  I needed to get to Sam's Club and fight the crowd before my afternoon clients.

Seriously, I get a little fired up going in there.  The amount of crap we eat as a nation is unbelievable.  And the saddest part is that its considered "normal"....I'M the abnormal one for eating healthy.  Crazy.  And we're all paying for it.  Ugh....

Well, I'm about 5 seconds away from laying my head on this table.  Pooped.  Have a great night and here's to Friday! :)