REFOCUS Friday

First, a thank you to Miss Lauren for the blog title today.  She recommended this last Friday after a conversation we had, but I had already posted for that day.  So here it is 7 days later, but still great :)

My day began at 6:38.  Yes, I slept until 6:38...uninterrupted.  Well, sort of....I woke up sweating (because apparently I'm the youngest person with menopause/hot flashes), so I opened a window.  That ended up being a bad idea because Oscar is like a moth to a flame with open windows.  About 10 minutes later he was on his hind legs meowing like he was about to pull an Evil Knievel move from our second story window.  Stupid cat.  That was the end of the window-open-because-I-was-hot event at 2am. 
Started the day with some cleaning and then worked on my hip-hop routine for tomorrow's class.  Thankfully, I was on a roll with that.  Looking forward to it...

I think Fridays are the hardest day to workout.
You're tired by the end of the week, ready to relax, and sometimes lose a little bit of focus gearing up for the weekend.  I find that Fridays can often be the kick-off to "weekend detours".  Wheat I mean is that our schedules are off, and our tendency to veer from the things necessary to achieve our goals increases.  Its in those moments we have to remind ourselves why we started this journey in the first place....where we are headed....and that every workout is important.  Its tough, I get it.  Don't think, just DO.
I often start my Friday workouts in sort of a robot-mode trying not to think about all the wind I'll be sucking moments later.  Today was no exception.  Due to this sickness crud I'm fighting off, I was sweating profusely and my heartrate was higher than normal.  I sounded like a smoker.  My music of choice today consisted of Rise Against, The Wanted, Of Monsters and Men, and of course some Linkin Park.  As long as I have it loud enough so I cannot hear myself breathe or think I'm good to go.
I had shoulders, hamstrings and glutes.  It was a tough hour and 20 minutes...and it was a relief to get in the car and drive home.  Protein shake, shower, eat, then off to run errands.

I listened to an excellent blurb today by Todd Durkin.  He's an internationally known trainer who works with professional quarterbacks, golfers, bodybuilders, and everyday fitness clients.  His enthusiasm and passion is contagious.  I admire him because he is real.  One thing he talked about today was leadership and the many influences in our life that contribute to each of us as a leader.  One thing that stood out to me was our "inner circle."  So often we forget that the people we surround ourselves with greatly impact our outlook on the world, the decisions we make, and where we place our time and efforts.  I remind our young athletes of this all the time as they navigate the often bumpy road of high school and college athletics.  But, when was the last time we stopped to consider those closest to us?  Are they supportive, driven, honest, and grounded?  Are the relationships draining or empowering?  How is this aspect of our lives effecting our overall mental and physical health?
A few powerful questions to consider...

That's it for now, and here's to a little refocus and a great weekend ahead!

Hump-day, you win...

I'm staring at a bowl full of kale and I have a feeling it might come back to haunt me.  I love me some greens.  Some kids eat play-dough or glue,...I remember tasting grass several times.  At what point is that concerning for a parent??...
Not sure which is more disturbing, the fact that I ate grass a few times in the 80's or that I rocked a mullet while doing so.  Then again, I think they go hand and hand...

Wednesdays kick me in the rear....hard.  I was a walking zombie.  I was thrilled last night going to bed knowing that I could sleep in just a little longer and get up at 4:48 instead of 4:18.  I know I know, its not 4:50 and 4:20.  I have a weird thing about setting my alarm on even numbers but not on zero.  OCD moment, welcome to my world.  Back to the story.  I went to bed happy to have a few more minutes of sleep, but daggone if my body did not wake up at 4:18 on the dot.  Booooo.  Head was pounding, eyes were drooping, and Oscar's standing at the foot of the bed staring at me like a tuna pattie.  Hump day had arrived.  I literally waddled out of bed. 

It was a typical Wednesday at the gym.  After my morning crowd it was time for my own workout.  The good/bad thing about hump day is that its generally the day I only have cardio.  So its over in 40-45 minutes, but its still cardio.  Its like a quick punch to the face.  It might be quick, but its still a punch to the face.
I was so tired by the time I needed to do sprints that I literally felt dizzy and found it hard to formulate sentences that actually made sense.  Did I drink at 9am and not know it?  I couldn't sit and think about it, I just had to change clothes, get on the treadmill, and MOVE.  I started off with flat sprints and then moved to hill sprints.  The only good thing about hill sprints is that your body will instinctively do whatever it takes not to do a face-plant on the treadmill.  Given that I had squats and leg press yesterday, I was shocked at how good my legs felt.  And by "good" I just mean that every stride didn't hurt.  I was no Usain Bolt on that thing, but my white legs were trucking along as best they could. 
After sprints I walked at incline 11 for 20 minutes.  Longest 20 minutes of my day right there.  I was surfing through the 'ol ipod to find any song that would make the time go by quicker.  Here's a few that do it for me right now:

Move that body - Nelly, Akon, and T-Pain
Glad you came - The Wanted
Sing - My Chemical Romance
Faint - Linkin Park
Red to Black - Fort Minor
The Cave - Mumford and Sons
Power - Kanye West
...a little variety to keep me going...

Every now and then I have to rock the 90s with some old Nirvana, Cranberries, and Oasis.  A handful of you will read this and not know who in the world I am talking about.  You are too young and I don't like you at the moment because I feel old and my joints hurt.  I'm like a ball of sunshine after 7pm...

On that note, I am done. 
I am exhausted.
I need to wash my hair (no need to mention how long its been).
Unpack and repack my gym bag.
Contemplate doing laundry.
Decide not to do laundry.
Go to bed.

That's my list for the next 20 minutes.  Have a great night...