6 Miles of Hills

Today began with Kim and I having a lovely breakfast together at home. We had facon, fake eggs, and a bagel. Actually I had a bagel, she had tomatoes.

I decided not to do my Insanity workout today. Instead I ran 6 miles. I kept the pace relatively slow, but ran hills the entire time. BodyBugg had me burning over 1100 calories. I'm not gonna say the run was easy, but it sure wasn't hard. Just long. After I finished up on the treadmill I did another mile on the elliptical to cool off. Back at home I rode the spin bike for 15 minutes, then went on a walk with JJF. Kim walked a little bit with us, but turned back after about 1/2 a mile. She's been feeling bad (sore throat, etc.) all day.

My other meals on the day consisted of a turkey sandwich for lunch, 2 low fat apple muffins, and a few olives during the day. Dinner was jerked salmon, au gratin potatoes, and squash Dessert was Skinny Cow! Decent with my meals today.

Tomorrow I'll get in an Insanity Workout for sure, probably a run, and then a walk. That's my plan....

Legs, An Attempted Pug Party, Beef Tongue, & Ice Cream

Another Friday and that means it's LEG DAY!

I began the day with a muffin and some yogurt before heading to the gym. I arrived about an hour later than usual and ran 3+ miles using the Hill Program on the treadmill. Next came the leg workout proper. 3 sets of smith squats, 3 sets of true squats, 2 sets of leg presses, and 2 sets of leg extensions for quads. Hams began with 3 sets of seated leg curls, 2 sets of very light stiff leg dead lifts, and finally 3 sets of weighted hyper-extensions.

After the workout I had a protein shake before grabbing the pug and heading back to the gym for a Pug Party. Unfortunately, Belle (my pug) was scared of Emma (L's pug). That combined with a minor disturbance at the front desk at the gym made me decide to give up on the Pug Party a little quickly. Belle was actually terrified. I don't know why. She actually jumped (as well as a pug can) up into my arms. One home all was well again in Pug Land. She immediately began to battle with JJF.

Next up I rode the spin bike for 30 minutes before having a bowl of granola cereal.

A little before Kim got in from work I got in my Insanity Workout for the day. Again, it is the Core Cardio & Balance workout. Still gotta do it twice more over the weekend before starting the second 30 days of the program. Excited to get at it next week. With the longer Insanity workouts coming up, I think I have a real chance to have some 5000+ calorie burn days. I've come close quite a few times, even 4900+, but I've never hit 5k. Something to shoot for.

Tonight for dinner we went to a local Mexican place so we could grab some tortas. I wanted an Al Pastor torta. They were still out of Al Pastor, so I opted for Lengua (beef tongue). It was pretty good, but I only ate about half. I also had a very small (Mexican style) chorizo taco. Before all that we split some flour chips with cheese dip and salsa. After dinner we again had some ice cream. It was crazy good.

Tomorrow is all cardio, with maybe a few sets of abs at the gym. I think we're gonna grill out for dinner. Maybe some jerked salmon. Sunday is Rest Day! I think I'm still gonna do something. Insanity and a walk? Sounds good.

Almost Broke My Ankle

I began today with a little longer run than usual. 4.5 miles at various speeds. Up to 9MPH for a bit. Nearly broke my ankle in the process. Afterward I trained arms with my mother. 3 sets of press downs, 3 sets of overhead dumbbell presses, and 3 sets of rope press downs for triceps. Biceps began with 3 sets of seated incline dumbbell curls and ended with 3 sets of standing heavy hammer curls. Once back home from the gym I rode the spin bike for 30 minutes and got in my Insanity Workout late in the evening. We tried to walk late, but only got in about a mile before some large storms moved into the area.

Breakfast was a muffin and yogurt. Post workout I had a protein shake plus a banana. Late afternoon I had a turkey sandwich. Dinner was a LC Pizza. After dinner we had a little Ice Cream ('cause it was still like 100 degrees outside). During the day I also had a NS cookie, a Skinny Cow bar, and some rice cakes. Probably around 2200 calories on the day (a little high) and I burned ~4700.

Tomorrow is legs! Yippee! I'm gonna try to eat very light all day (breakfast, shake, and maybe a light snack, basically keep it under 1000 calories) and then eat an Al Pastor Torta for dinner. That's my goal anyway.

Shoulders & Baking

I've been on a muffin kick for a while. I love the Isabella Bakery Low Fat Blueberry Muffins, but I have a hard time finding them at the local Kroger. I LOVE the Kroger Double Chocolate Chip Muffins, but they have ~500 calories. I've decided to bake some muffins myself. Nothing too difficult, just store bought mixes. First I'm trying some chocolate chip muffins. I'm using egg beaters instead of real eggs and otherwise following the directions. Each muffin will have ~200 calories. Next time I'm trying some low fat Blueberry.

Today began with a NS Double Chocolate Muffin and a bowl of granola. Once I arrived at the gym I joined DJ & L on the treadmill for a 3+ mile run. Seemed very easy today having someone else there. I ran the hills program & they did different stuff (5x5x5, I think). After the treadmill I trained shoulders. 3 sets of military presses, 3 sets of side lateral raises, 3 sets of upright cable rows, 3 sets of rear delts, and 3 sets of shoulder shrugs.

After the gym I had a Lean Body Protein shake with a banana before jumping on the spin bike for 30 minutes. Afterward I had one of my favorite LC meals, Chicken Carbonara. After eating I baked my muffins and crossed my fingers. I was also a little bored, so I took some pics of the muffins....












I had to try one after they cooled off. Pretty tasty & ~200 calories. They should fit into my breakfast menu well.

After my Betty Crocker moment, I got in my Insanity workout for the day. All week I have the same workout. Core Cardio & Balance. Easy and I still burned around 400 calories. I'm excited/nervous about next week. I think the workouts get longer and harder. It'll be fun though!

All that's left on the day is a walk with JJF. Kim has to work late so it'll just be the two of us. If he chases a skunk and gets sprayed again, he might get to sleep in the outside dog house....

A Day in the Car

Tuesday I spent the majority of the day driving around Atlanta. From around 10Am until after 6PM. We viewed 9 different properties during the day. Before the trek began, I went to the gym and ran 3 miles on the Hill Routine and then trained back. 3 sets of pull downs, 3 sets of hammer pull downs, and 3 sets of hammer rows. I didn't have time for anything else.

Not so great day eating. Before the gym I had a lowfat blueberry muffin and afterward I had a bowl of granola cereal. During the drive I had a large Supreme Protein Bar, a Kellog's granola bar, and 2 Blue Rockstars. Dinner was Mexican. Cheese dip, flour chips, a chorizo taco, and 2/3 of a torta.

Around dusk, Kim, Jumping Jack Flash and I took our usual evening walk. It was lovely, until we got home. Near home we began to smell a burnt smell. Kinda like an electrical fire. After we got back to the house left out to go to the grocery store (and Jack ran in as we walked out) the smell was much stronger. Like a chemical weapon. Once back home and inside the house we realized it was a skunk & Jack was rotten with it. He smells awful & now so do we. So does our house. So does our lake. He smelled so bad when we got home he hid in the fire place. This is possible the worst smell I've ever come across and it'll be with us for days....

Recovery Week

Sunday = Rest Day (still burned almost 3400 calories).

Today begins my Recovery Week on the Insanity Workout. 6 days of Core Cardio and Balance before starting month 2 of the program next Monday.

My actual training today began with a 3 mile run on the Random program on the treadmill. Following the treadmill I trained chest. 3 sets of machine presses, 3 sets of incline machine presses, 3 sets of decline machine presses, and 3 sets of cable flies. Back at home I rode the spin bike for 30 minutes and then washed our old 4runner we use in lieu of a 4wheeler. Insanity followed later in the day. No walk this evening (due to thunder storms and torrential rain), so I may end up spinning again late.

Good day with my food intake. Breakfast was a low fat blueberry muffin, & post workout meal was a protein shake. Post spin was 1/4 of a protein bar, a NS chocolate chip cookie, and a turkey sandwich. Dinner tonight is fake meat steak (fake steak), mashed potatoes, and later on a little NS granola bar.

Tomorrow will be an altered day. I'm headed out with my father for a long day of looking at some properties. My job? Navigation. I'm the only one who can operate a GPS device. So I'm planning on running and training at the gym early (for me that's around 8) and then spinning and Insanity whenever I make it back home. Don't know what I'll do about eating while gone. I need to plan that out tonight.

Legs On a Saturday

Still being a day behind I had to train legs on Saturday.

My morning began with Kim and I making breakfast at home. She had a zucchini & onion, fake egg omelet. I had a facon, egg beaters, and cheese sandwich, a slice of bread with my new apple cider jelly, and a cup of yogurt. Yum!

After dreading, moaning, and crying about having to go to the gym I ended up having a great workout. I started out the treadmill running the hill program, at 6mph, for 30 minutes. After the run I decided to alter my usual exercises. I began the workout with 3 sets of smith squats, then 3 sets of true squats, and finally 3 sets of leg presses for quads. Hamstrings began with 3 sets of seated leg curls and the workout ended with weighted hyper-extensions. I burned 900+ calories at the gym.

I came home and had to grilled jerked chicken breasts before starting my Insanity workout for the day. The workout was the Plyo Cardio Circiut. I decided to try the workout in my Vibrams. The workout is always hard, but with the FiveFingers shoes on I had an extra tough calf workout.
My Vibrams pictured below.


I rested during the afternoon until the sun went down a little and the temps dropped. Kim and I walked our usual route around the lake. It was still hot. Like 85 with a heat index of 93. After we got going it was actually kinda pleasant. Really muggy, but not oppressive like an hour earlier. No spin bike on the day. I was just to tired.

Dinner was fake meat (we now call it Feat, sounds delicious, right?) tacos. So it was Feat Tacos for me and Kim had crab legs. I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but I'm starting to prefer the veggie meats to real meat. With the feat there's no chance I'll end up feeling bad from to much grease in the food.

We tried a new treat late last evening. Kim decided to try putting some Ice into the Ninja and then add some crystal light. It made a nice little slushy/snow cone. I made one using my favorite orange crystal light flavor. Basically a 0-20 calorie dessert.

As I write this on Sunday morning, my legs are already sore. Cardio will be an adventure today. I'm gonna try to run, spin, and walk. At least I don't have an Insanity workout to do. All next week the Insanity workouts are Core Cardio and Balance during what the program calls the Recovery Week. I think since starting Insanity my body fat has dropped over 1.5%. I don't want to give all of the credit to Insanity, but it sure didn't hurt. During the past month, while during Insanity, I've also run 3 miles, worked out, rode the spin bike, and walked almost every day. I hope over the next 5 weeks of Insanity I get similar results. If I do I might just restart the program after finishing.

Trainin Hard and Throwing Up.....

After my lost day yesterday, I made sure I trained hard and ate well today.

The morning started off with me having to work a little, which put me getting to the gym about an hour late. No problem though. I began my gym time with a fast(er) run than of late. The first two miles were in under 16 minutes and the third was finished under 24:30. I did run a few low intensity hills with the quicker pace, but then really increased the incline the final 5 minutes. By the time I had 30 minutes in I was very hot and almost dizzy feeling. I rested a minute and then began my arm workout. 3 sets of press downs, 3 sets of overhead barbell presses, and 3 sets of overhead dumbbell presses for triceps. Biceps began with 3 sets of straight bar curls, followed by 3 sets of seated incline dumbbell curls, and finally 3 sets of standing hammer curls. I couldn't go as heavy as last week with the hammer curls, but was within 5 pounds. I was so exhausted and borderline sick during the workout that I kinda vomited in my mouth between sets while training biceps. Who pukes training arms? I guess being exhausted from the run and combined with the general soul sucking heat we've been experiencing here in GA, I'm lucky I'm not puking and passing out every workout.

My Insanity Workout today was Pure Cardio and Cardio abs. Lots of running, jumping, twisting, and kicking during the Pure Cardio portion. The abs workout is pretty quick, but leaves me lying in the floor, in near whole body cramps at the conclusion. I burned around 800 calories from the Insanity session today (workout time plus some cool down).

Kim and I walked as soon as the temps dropped from the afternoon heat index of 105. Crazy hot here now. We walked without Jumping Jack Flash tonight because he has gone to visit with my parents and their dogs.

My spin session came later in the evening than usual. I was just too tired to ride when I initially came in from the gym. I climbed on during the Braves game.

My eating was much better today. I had a NS blueberry muffin, facon, and yogurt for breakfast. Post workout I had a protein shake (Labrada Lean Body, calorie free caramel sauce, a frozen banana, and a spoon full of chocolate peanut butter), and it was fantastic. After Insanity I had another yogurt, a few olives, and a sugar free jello pudding. Dinner tonight was veggie sailsbury steak (it was good!), carrots, and green beans. After our walk I had a final bowl of cereal. ~1800 calories on the day. BB has me burning 4800+.

Since I'm a day behind, I get to train legs tomorrow. Oh Joy! At least I get to have a nutritious breakfast with Kim first.

Lost Day

Well, I knew today had the potential to get wrecked, and sure enough, it did. No gym, no run, no walk, no insanity, no spin. Good breakfast of granola and yogurt, good lunch at Subway. Afternoon meal of a frozen Indian dish and 2 NS cookies. Dinner sucked, nutritionally. It tasted great. I had a Al Pastor Torta, along with some flour tortilla chips & cheese dip. Yup, by dinner I had resigned myself to a lost day and ate out. Finally, late this evening I had yet another NS dessert and some more granola. Pretty bad day overall. I did manage to secure some flooring for Kim's parents. It was supposed to be wood, but ended up being some kinda weird vinyl laminate. I did get a little ab work out in during the day. As dad & I were walking through an abondened warehouse we're interested in purchasing, in the dark, without a flashlight, dad managed to avoid the hole in the floor I noticed and pointed out, only to stumble into the largest, black water, nastiest, knee deep hole in the entire building. After I realized he wasn't hurt and was in fact already laughing at himself, I doubled over with laughter. I laughed so hard my abs cramped up on me. It was classic. He had to wear his golfing shoes the rest of the day. Good times.

Long Day

Today began like most other week days. Granola cereal and coffee. I had to do a little bookwork and then hit the gym. 3 miles of hills, followed by another mile plus of faster paced flat running. My chest workout followed. 3 sets of flat bench presses, 3 sets of incline presses, 3 sets of decline presses, 3 sets of cable flies, and finally 2 sets of dips. Thoroughly exhausted afterward, I went home and downed a protein shake. A little work around the house and then I got in 30 minutes on the spin bike. After the biking I had a LC meal and a sugar free Rockstar. A little rest and then it was Insanity time. Today was the Plyo Cardio Circuit. I was dead afterward. I've been exhausted all evening. Dizzy every time I stand up, sleepy every time I sit down. For dinner I had a frozen Indian meal with a little rice. After dinner Kim joined JJF and I for a nice walk around the lake, which completed my exercise for the day. Since the walk I've been starving. I've had the last bite of a protein bar, a small bowl of cereal, a NS cookie, and some sugar free jello pudding. The BodyBugg has me burning 4600+ calories on the day.

Tomorrow I know my morning is already altered. Work for a bit first, then gym. At least the Insanity workout is Cardio Recovery, so there's that. Plus a Braves game early in the afternoon will give me something to watch while riding the bike.

Not Again!

Tuesday was a day of victories and defeat.

I had to alter my training routine somewhat. I began with 3 miles of hills, followed by a decent back workout. 3 sets of t-bar rows, 3 sets of iso-lateral pull-downs, 3 sets of wide hammer pull downs, and 3 sets of straight arm press downs. I quickly returned home so I could get in my Insanity workout. After getting RUN OVER by Shaun T. I took a shower and headed off with my parents and my aunts to visit a Amish type of farmers market. Quaint, in the middle of no where, and very hot.



They bought a bunch of veggies, I bought a jar of apple cider jelly. We left and headed to Chattanooga for dinner. I ate 2/3 of a cheeseburger, a few nachos and a few fries. Afterward I took our little group (we were waiting on rush hour traffic to dissipate) to Chattanooga Cupcakes. I ordered a single Peanut Butter & Chocolate cupcake and we headed home. Once home JJF and I walked around the lake and then I hit 3o minutes on the spin bike as I watched the Braves game. I consider most of these things a success. I got in all of my training for the day (burned 4500+ calories, thank you very much), I only ate part of my burger, and I only ordered a single cupcake. The defeat follows.

Back in June, for my birthday, we grabbed a couple of cupcakes and brought them home with us. The cats and the Pug conspired to eat them before I could. This time would be different. I had a plan. Once home with my beloved cupcake, I had a little bite of the icing before my walk and placed it into the microwave so none of the animals could get it. After the walk I had another bite and returned it to the microwave as I jumped on the spin bike. Shortly after my ride I heard Kim say something about my cupcake looking like it had fallen apart as she took it out of the microwave to heat up her dinner. I decided that would be a great time to finish off my cupcake and walked into the kitchen to retrieve it before the animals got to it. I rounded the corner and saw the Pug eating my cupcake, in the floor. I cried. Kim cried too. She had set it on the edge of the counter, and tragically it fell, where the Pug was waiting. UnReal. Obviously I'm not meant to enjoy a cupcake at home. I give up. If I ever get another cupcake, I'll eat it IN THE STORE. It makes me sad thinking about my poor cupcake. At least the Pug enjoyed it.....

Change Up

Monday is usually when I train chest. I had thought last night about changing the workout more than usual (I typically alter one thing week to week). I really planned on doing all dumbbell work today. When I got to the gym Mom decided she wanted more of a change. Recently, she's only been making it to the gym on Monday & Tuesday. So she's been getting lots of chest and back workouts. As a result we decided to train shoulders today, and do mostly all dumbbells. Of course to begin the workout we pre-exhausted on the treadmill. I ran 15 minutes of 6mph random hills, then 15 minutes of varied pace (between 6-7-8mph) on 0 incline to finish up. I managed a little over 3 miles and was ready to train. We began with 3 sets of seated dumbbell military presses, followed by 3 sets of side lateral raises, then 3 sets of upright rows, then 3 sets of rear delts, and finally I finished up with 3 sets of shoulder shrugs. Once home my workouts continued with a 30 session on the spin bike as I watched the pilot episode of the Wire (The 101 [Directv101 & 239 are replaying the entire series], which is one of the best series I've ever watched) on my DVR. A little later I got in my Insanity workout for the day (Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs). I was pretty much beat at this point. A little rest as the temperature cooled and then JJF and I took our evening walk around the lake. The BodyBugg had me burning ~4800 calories on the day.

Good day with the eating as well. Breakfast was a low fat blueberry muffing and Greek Yogurt. Post workout I had a Lean Body Protein Shake. After my spin I had left over Indian (Chicken Tikka Masala and a little rice). After the Insanity I made my own version of a Mango Lassi. I used Jumex Mango Nectar and a cup of Oikos Vanilla Greek Yogurt. Ninjaed it up, and loved it. Kinda high in calories (400), but for an occasional treat it was great. Dinner tonight was more left over Indian. Chana Saag (chickpeas and spinach) and a little rice. Perfect. Later I had a little left over veggie hamburger helper, a protein bar, and cereal. Calories on the day were a little over 2400. High, but still not bad when you take into account the burn total.

Weekend Resting

Saturday was a day of both training and relaxing.

Training first. 3 mile hills run on the treadmill. Back home I had a protein shake and then 30 minutes on the spin bike. I rested for a few and conviinced myself that if I ate a sandwich and then did my Insanity workout, I could then go to bed for a couple of hours before Kim got in and we would be ready for our dinner and a movie. So I pushed through the Insanity routine, and then went to BED. I woke up to thunder, lightning, and the beginning of a massive rain storm. I ran down, brought the hounds inside, and went back to bed for another hour. I awoke at about 5PM (crazy), released the hounds, cleaned up, and waited on Kim to get home from work. We headed North to Chattanooga around 6:30 and had one of the best Indian meals I've had in a long time. I don't know that it was really any better than any of our other meals at Sitar, but it seemed like it. I had a chicken dish and Kim had soup, salad, and chickpeas with spinach. Loved it. We then proceeded to the movie theater to watch Inception. I really liked it. The theater was crowded, so we had to sit closer to the screen than I wanted, but otherwise it was a delightful evening.

Sunday=REST. I didn't do anything (well, I took a nap). I did fetch breakfast in bed for Kim as we watched a couple of horrible 80's movies. The rest of the day I watched a couple of rain storms, watched Psych (so funny) and True Blood.

Monday is back to running, spinning, Insanity, dog walking, lifting, and low-calorie/high protein eating. Woohoo.

Legs & Bed Bugs

Friday. Leg day. I woke feeling weak (thanks so much sushi...) so I opted for a double chocolate muffing for breakfast. Not the low fat version, thank you very much. 480 calories later I was ready for the gym. I ran 3 miles on the random hill setting, then walked for about 5 minutes to cool down. That 35 minutes was the warm up to my leg routine. 3 sets of 20 reps on the leg press, followed by 3 sets of 20 on the true squat, then 3 sets of 12-15 reps of leg extensions. Hamstrings started with 3 sets of 12 on the seated leg curl machine, and ended with 3 sets of 20 reps on the hyper-extension contraption. I limped back to the car and home for a protein shake.

After completing some more bookwork I hit the spin bike for 30 minutes before having a turkey sandwich. A little more rest then it was time to get Insane with the Power & Resistance workout. 45 minutes later and I grabbed a towel (after collapsing in the floor and being liked non stop by Pug Pugglesworth for about 5 minutes) and jumped into my dad's truck to head to one of our properties. We were on Bed Bug patrol. Some of our tenants bed have been infested with bed bugs, and the tenants just threw the beds out by the dumpster. Of course the waste services company refused to collect the discarded bedding, so we had the pleasure of loading a few box springs and mattress sets onto the truck. They'll make it to the dump on Saturday. I don't think I got bit by anything (including some of the largest ants I've ever seen).

Once back home I joined Kim & JJF for our nightly walk. 2+ miles later I was finished with my cardio for the day. 4444 calories burned (according to the BodyBugg)! My final meal, after the walk, was a serving of Jasmine rice and a piece of grilled, jerked chicken. I did try a cup of OJ Ninjaed with some vanilla Greek yogurt a little later. Yummy! A little under 2000 calories on the day.

Tomorrow I'll run, spin, do a very few sets of abs at the gym, get Insane (plyo circuit), and try to walk. Not sure about the walk. Kim and I are gonna try to go out for dinner (either Indian or oysters) and then see a movie. We'll see how it goes...

Sick of Sushi

Thursday I had to catch up a missed shoulder workout, along with my normal arm workout while at the gym. After a breakfast of granola and a low fat muffin I arrived at the gym. First off was of course a 30 minute run. For a little change I set the pace to 6mph, and ran the Random Hill program on the treadmill. I actually enjoyed it this time. The last time I ran the program I had to lower the intensity a little just to complete it. Once my cardio was over and I cooled down for a sec, I began my workout with 3 sets of shoulder shrugs, moving on to 3 sets of hammer shoulder presses, and then onto 3 set of side lateral raises to finish off shoulders. For arms I began with 3 sets of triceps press downs, followed by 3 sets of rope press downs. My biceps work began with 3 sets of seated incline curls, and ending with 3 sets of heavy standing hammer curls.

After an early afternoon of some bookwork, a trip to the recycling center, and finally a stop by the grocery store, I returned home with enough time to eat a sandwich and get in an Insanity workout. Luckily it was the recovery/stretching workout, so I didn't feel so tired afterward.

I had to work a little late in the evening out of town, so I took the opportunity to drag mom along with me (Kim was working late) to eat dinner. As luck would have it, Dad was finishing up on the golf course just as we were making our way to Mt. Fuji for dinner, so he joined us. Bad news for me. I'm finally sick of sushi. I don't know what happened, but about 1/2 way through my sushi deluxe dinner, I just couldn't eat another bite. Ugh. What am I supposed to do now? Sushi was one of my last safe havens of healthy food that I could get outside of home. I'm very troubled. I love sushi. Only now I don't. AAAHHHH!!!! I hope this doesn't carry over to oysters.....I'll have to test that out soon.

After I got home I nibbled on a protein bar before going on a walk with Jumping Jack Flash before Kim got home from work. Good burn of 4300+ calories on the day. I'm back near 200 even now. Couple more weeks and I'll be hitting new lows every day.

Leg day tomorrow. First a run, then legs, then a bike ride, next Insanity, and finally a nice warm walk around the lake. I usually eat sushi after a leg workout to make me feel better. Maybe I'll grill some chicken instead...

Huge Calorie Burns

Tuesday began with granola and a muffin before hitting the gym. I ran a good varied interval and finished 3 miles right at 25 minutes. My workout (with mom) began with 2 sets of pull-ups (they sucked), followed by 3 sets of pull downs, 3 sets of hammer strength pull downs, and finally 3 sets of hammer rows. Only 11 sets, but I felt pretty tired at the end. Back at home I had a protein shake, did some bookwork (as a way of resting for a minute) then hit the spin bike for 30 minutes. After the bike I had a grilled turkey sandwich, and then began to mentally prepare for my Insanity workout. I banged it out and then rested (collapsed into the floor and then attacked by a wild, licking, Pug) until Kim got home from work. We decided to walk before dinner, so we grabbed JJF and hit the trail. Dinner for me was a LC meal. Good day overall.

Wednesday was weird, but a huge calorie burner. I began with granola and a muffin again. Then I got ready for the gym, but never made it. Robein (he works with us) was available for the day, so he and I tackled cleaning out my garage and out building. 6 hours later I have a very nice looking garage & an almost empty out building. I also burned around 6 calories per minute the entire time, so I racked up some very slow, moderately intense cardio. After we finished up I had another turkey sandwich, and got ready for Insanity. To my dismay, the workout was Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs. I thought it was gonna be Power & Resistance or something a little easier. 40 minutes later I was dead. THEN we went on a walk. Ugh. I felt a lot better after the walk, but I was pretty tired. Dinner was a LC pizza, followed by a bowl of cereal. 4650+ calories burned on the day. Less than 2000 consumed.

Tomorrow I get to combine shoulders, bis & tris into one big workout. Yippee!

Rest and Chest

Sunday = Rest. I did nothing. Well, that's not entirely true. I took a two hour nap during the afternoon.

Monday was a return to normalcy. Only different. I had to work a little in the morning, so my arrival at the gym was well after lunch. I ran 3 miles on the Random Hill setting on the treadmill. My pace was sorta slow, but the varied inclines made up for it. I followed the cardio up with 3 sets of decline hammer presses, 3 sets of incline hammer presses, and 3 sets of seated flat chest presses.

After the gym I had the joy of grocery shopping to endure before preparing for my second Insanity Fitness Test. At least it was over quickly. Here are the results:

Exercise	Day 1	Day 15
Switch Kicks	59	68
Power Jacyk	56	69
Power Knees	85	120
Power Jumps	35	57
Globe Jumps	7	12
Suicide Jumps	13	21
Push Up Jacks	35	45
Low Plank Oblique	40	60

So, after two weeks I've at least become more proficient in the exercises. I have noticed (the last day or two) better balance while doing the stretches and exercises as well.

Following my Insanity, I rode the spin bike for 30 minutes while Kim and I watched an episode of West Wing. Then it was time to take Jumping Jack Flash on his evening walk. While walking we spotted a rabbit on the trail ahead of us. It just sat perfectly still as we (and JJF) approached. Jack ran right towards it, but not like he was chasing it, just like he was running along as normal, only the rabbit happened to be directly in his path. At the last moment the rabbit hopped twice and vanished into the underbrush. Jack stopped, looked into the dark abyss that is the weeds and growth just off of the trail, and then continued on his way.

After the walk I had a dinner I've been craving for quite a while. Red Beans and Rice over bread. Very different from the way I used to eat it. Last year, I would have eaten the ENTIRE box (say at least 800 calories) plus I'd have added in some type of meat (polish sausage). So the meal would have been somewhere north of 1700 calories. Last night, I ate about 2 servings (400 calories) with 2 1/2 slices of 35 calorie per slice bread. Entire meal less than 500 calories. The rest of my meals were typical for the day. Granola & yogurt for breakfast, sandwich after the gym, LC meal later in the day. All in all a decent day.

Tomorrow will be back on my normal training time, normal meal schedule, and then the All Star Game in the evening! GO NL!

More Core and Balance

Saturday I got to sleep late! No leg cramps overnight, no screaming Pug (until 9AM). It was lovely. After a nice breakfast of a low calorie/fat free blueberry muffin and yogurt I was off to the gym. A little slower paced 3 mile run, followed by an ab workout, and finally 15 minutes on the elliptical completed my gym time. Once home I had a turkey sandwich and then got into my Insanity Core & Balance workout. 40 minutes of stretching, lunging, and squatting. It's actually one of the more difficult workouts for me. Holding a deep squat for a minute with VERY sore & weak legs is kinda hard. Anyway, glad I got it in.

Late in the evening we went to a friend's daughter's 4th birthday. It was a pirate themed party! Argh maties! I had 2 hot dogs, some potato chips, and a cupcake. Kim and I were both frayed by the time we left. We're not used to being around a house full of running, playing children. The parents of the children seemed to be unfazed, kinda numb to it all.

Once home we grabbed JJF and took off on a nice walk. 2+ miles in the late evening 90 degree heat. Later, as we watched a West Wing marathon on the DVR, we ate some leftover veggie meat taco mix from the night before. Still just as good as the night before.

Sunday is REST DAY. I'm sure I'll walk, and might even spin during the World Cup finals. No Insanity, no running, no training. I'm looking forward to a rest. My left knee feels a little funny/loose (if that makes any sense). So a good day of rest then back at it on Monday!

Veggie Meat Tacos, Cardio Abs, & Leg Day

Thursday was a weird day. Normal breakfast of cereal and yogurt then on to the gym. 3+ mile run, and then an arm workout with my mom. Easy workout. 6 sets for triceps and 6 sets for biceps. I then had to hurry home and then off to a meeting. By the time the meeting was over I had missed lunch and Dad and I decided to try a new Japanese place in town. It was decent. Very limited menu. He had scallops and I had beef. Lots of rice and veggies. I ate about 2/3 of my order. It was pretty cheap, so it might make our rotation. Once back home I forced my way through an Insanity workout. Not so much fun after eating a very late lunch. I didn't have time for a ride on the spin bike, but did get in a late, hot walk around the lake. Burned a little under 4000 on the day. No clue on the intake. Guessing a little under 2000.

Today has been rough. Up early to do some bookwork and eat breakfast (the usual) before hitting the gym. My gym workout began with a 3+ mile run again. Then I moved on to my leg workout. 3 sets of leg extensions, 3 sets of true squats, 3 sets of leg presses, and 3 sets of seated leg curls. I cut back the hamstring portion of my leg workout because of all of the terrible cramps I've been suffering recently. After the gym I had a protein shake with a frozen banana and a little caramel sauce. A little later I hit the spin bike for 1/2 an hour. During the afternoon I had a chicken breast and then a little later a turkey sandwich. I then had to get in my daily dose of Insanity. Today was Pure Cardio (to quote the Shaun T. [the instructor on the DVD] concerning the Pure Cardio workout, "That shit was BANANAS y'all") followed by Cardio Abs. This was my first go at the Cardio Abs. Lots more jumping, knee lifting, twisting, and squeezing. I'm already sore....

Dinner tonight was a treat. Actually, I'm concerned that I think that. We had veggie meat (from a can that looked and sorta smelled like dog food) tacos. Loved it. Along with the tacos we had some veggie re-fried beans, and cheesy Mexican rice. Not sure on my daily total calorie intake for the day. I think before dinner I had right around 1000. Then who knows for dinner. Safely under 2000 for the day, I hope. Looks like I'll burn 4200+ on the day.

Tomorrow I'll get in a run and probably a bike ride too. I'm debating on whether or not to do the Core Balance & Recovery Insanity workout in the afternoon. Depends on how sore I am. I'm looking forward to breakfast already. I found some fat free, low calorie blueberry muffins to try. Is it wrong to be excited about breakfast before I go to bed?

Push

Wednesday I woke feeling pretty bad. I'd suffered through leg and ab cramps all night. Kim tried to tell me goodbye as she was leaving, but I grimaced in pain as a fresh leg cramp grabbed me just as she tried. I forced down some coffee and then cereal and yogurt, followed by yet another coup of coffee before I gave up and went back to bed. I slept for a few hours (cramp free) and then finally made my way to the gym around 1PM.

The gym sucked. I was barely able to run 15 minutes. Once I hit the 15 minute mark I retreated to the elliptical for 15 more. Neither was very impressive. I forced my way through 12 sets of a back workout. 3 sets of hammer rows, 3 sets of hammer front pull downs, 3 sets of hammer rear pull downs, and 3 sets of lat pull downs. I make up the names for the Hammer Strength exercises. They actually have very precise iso-poylmetric-isobaric whatever names. I never can remember so I just make the names up. Anyway, I had thoughts of returning to the elliptical for 15 more minutes, but ultimately thought better of it.

Once home I forced down a protein shake, with a frozen banana and a little calorie free caramel sauce Ninjaed in (yup, I just made Ninja into a verb). I got in 30 minutes on the spin bike during the second half of the Spain/Germany world cup match (GO SPAIN) and then attempted an Insanity workout. It was pitiful. I mean just a poor showing on my part. I failed out on quite of few exercises towards the end. Finally, during the Braves game (so we could build up a delay on the DVR) we walked about 2 miles in the 94 degree 8PM heat. It was hot, but not terrible.

The rest of my meals were protein shakes and two turkey (or was it chicken?) sandwiches. Late (around 10PM) I had a chocolate peanut butter sandwich.

To have felt like warmed over death for most of the day, I think I pushed and ended up with a decent day. I burned 4050 or so calories, and consumed well under 2000 (around 1800 I think). Let's do it all again tomorrow!

Insanity + Ninja = Insane Ninja?

Back to the grind after taking part of Sunday and all Monday off. The morning began with a bowl of granola cereal. I had to hit GNC (before my monthly discount ran out) on the way to the gym. It's expensive being all healthy and junk. I had to re-up on my crazy vitapacks, plus I'm almost out of my normal protein so I bought a TUB of some sorta AMP EXTREME WHEY or something. The main thing is it is chocolate, plus it has 60g of protein per serving with less than 300 calories.

I grabbed a protein bar to eat before training too. That ended up being rather stupid. I felt like I was about to vomit during my entire run. 3 miles in around 25 minutes. Not good, but considering I missed a day or two and I felt like I might hurl, I was really just happy to finish it. I trained chest and shoulders (to make up for missing yesterday). 3 sets of incline presses, 3 sets of flat presses, 3 sets of shoulder presses, 3 sets of lateral raises, and finally 3 sets of flies.

Once home I tried out the new protein. It was OK. Nothing special. Kinda flat and weird sweet. After resting a bit and then watching some World Cup (Go Netherlanders, or is it Hollanders, maybe Dutchmen?, anyway go team in orange) I did the Pure Cardio Insanity workout. It was still hard, but I did better this time. I actually completed some of the exercises. Last time I failed out on every one.

After the Insanity I was pleasantly surprised by the delivery of my new blender thingy, the Ninja! Thanks to Lili for putting me onto this. I tried it out pretty quickly. 3 scoops of protein, 1 frozen banana, a few spoon fulls of vanilla goat yogurt, and a scoop of calorie free caramel sauce. I loved it. The Ninja did it's thing and completely obliterated the banana and left me a smooth, yummy drink. Gotta get some ice and plain 2% Fage yogurt to work with now.

I've still gotta get in a walk tonight and probably a little session on the spin bike too. Then start all over tomorrow.

Hot Dogs, Pizza, Ribs, and Still Craving Indian....

The past two days I've had exactly one workout. Sunday morning I did one Insanity workout. Then it was off to Kim's parents for a hot dog, a two ribs, and a bite of a potato. Afterward, we went to my parents house where I ate again. This time (over the course of 5 hours) I had two of Kim's BBQ sandwiches, another hot dog, and a few chips and dip. About 10PM I had a slice of coconut cake. Lovely. It really could have been much worse. I shot lots of pics of fireworks (which amounted to no exercise).



Monday I ended up not training at all. I didn't sleep well Sunday night and generally had no energy. So I took the day off. We had to go to Chattanooga for an appointment and had planned on eating some yummy Indian after. Well, the Indian place wasn't open yet, so we decided to drive from Chattanooga to Kennesaw to eat dinner with our friends K&K for their daughter's birthday. We ate at a pizza place called Big Pie In The Sky. It was featured on one of the Travel Channel's shows, Man Vs. Food. It was packed. You'd think they were moving crack instead of pizza. The wait was over an hour, and the line to order stretched out the door. I didn't realize how big the slices were and order 3 slices. I ate one, plus a maybe 1/3 of another. I'm throwing the rest away. It was ok. Not the best I've ever had. Not worth an hour wait. Not worth missing Indian for.

Anyway, I have a plan for the rest of the week. Each morning I'll get in my gym time (run plus workout), Insanity in the afternoon, bike ride after that, then walk in the evening. Today's workout might be two body parts. Chest and shoulders to make up for yesterdays missed workout. Either that or I'll have to train legs on Saturday. Ugh.

Pollo Alegre

Friday I had the best run I've had since mid May. Varied intervals from 6-8 mph for 3 miles. Then I walked for the remaining five minutes before training legs. My leg workout was purposely restrained. After the run I only did 12 sets total. 3 sets of leg presses, 3 sets of leg extensions, 3 sets of seated leg curls, and finally 3 sets of hyper-extensions. I really wanted to find a good balance between a decent workout & making sure I wasn't too sore for my upcoming Insanity workouts. After the workout I rode 30 minutes on the spin bike and then walked around the lake late Friday afternoon.

Saturday my plan was to run early at the gym and then get Insane in the afternoon, followed by a bike ride later, and a walk around dark. Didn't work out that way. Got in another good run at the gym, but then had to work a bit in the afternoon. Insanity ended up being pushed entirely, biking was scarped, but I did get the late walk in around dark. It was neat seeing/hearing lots of fireworks going off nearby. Our dogs loved it.

Friday's food was not so good. Muffin for breakfast, shake after the gym. Then we had to work some and ended up in Chattanooga for an early dinner. It was the kinda meal Kim and I love. We felt like we were in a chapter from the book "Stuff White People Like". We were eating ethnic food, we were the only white people in the restaurant, & we were watching World Cup with the staff (who spoke little or no English). We were thrilled. We each had a HUGE bowl of Pho. Kim had seafood and I had strange beef (no idea what kind...). After dinner we hit a nearby Fresh Market and bought some various nuts, and two mini cannolis. Late Friday night Kim and I both freaked and had to have some fast food. She had some fries and I had a about 3/4 of a cheese burger and some fries. I was shocked/thrilled to learn that I couldn't eat all of the burger. Weird.

Saturday, breakfast was another muffin. After my run I didn't have a chance to have a shake before heading to work. Lunch was with my dad at one of his favorite places. Another place where we were the only white people. Pollo Alegre (Happy Chicken) is pretty cool. No menu. You either get a whole or a half smoked chicken. Sides are either bean soup or rice and beans. It was fantastic. Late Saturday night I had a couple of turkey sandwiches for my final meals.

Sunday began with an Insanity workout. The rest of the 4th will probably be spent doing non exercise things. I plan on eating some burgers, hot dogs, bbq, etc. Maybe just 1 of each. No late walk tonight either. Firework show doesn't start until 9:45. I'll trade my walk for a chance at some nice firework photos. Should be fun....

Sleeping on the Porch

Yesterday I had a WEAK arm workout. 12 sets total. 3 sets of triceps press downs, 3 sets of overhead presses. 3 sets of incline dumbbell curls & 3 sets of standing dumbbell curls for biceps. I guess I was a little tired from running before the workout. 26 minutes of 1 minute intervals between 6 & 8 mph. Then I walked for about 15 minutes to cool down. That's 4 decent runs I've had this week! So happy now with the new running style and resulting zero pain!

After the gym I got in 30 minutes on the spin bike late in the afternoon before Kim got in from work. After the ride I decided to go out on the front porch and have a seat while I cooled off. I fell asleep. Slept about half an hour in the late afternoon Georgia heat, sitting straight up in a chair. Lovely. Once Kim got home and changed clothes we put in the Insanity DVD and went through the day's workout. It was the same workout as the first day. Hard, but I did better. Almost made it through the second work circuit before having to stop during an exercise for rest. I don't know if I'll ever make it through an entire workout with out failing out during a set. I'm really enjoying the workouts and stretches. Kim loathes it. Anyway, after Insanity we rested a minute and then walked JJF around the lake.

Food was decent on the day. Breakfast was cereal and yogurt, post workout I had a protein shake, lunch was a chicken salad sandwich, during the afternoon I had a handful of almonds and a protein bar, dinner (late) was a turkey sandwich. Not sure on the calories in for the day but I burned over 4300.

Friday is leg day, and thank goodness it's also Insanity's rest day. So all I gotta do is run 3 miles, train legs, maybe spin 30, and walk the dog. Yay!