I’ve fallen and I can’t get up

Okay, that’s an exaggeration. I can get up. I’ve been hurt and sick all week, pardon my silence. I’ve been a wreck for the past seven days. It all started when I decided to go to barre class the day before a snowboarding trip. I am not usually that sore after a class unless I take a class with one of the hard teachers (*cough* Teresa *cough* *cough* Jeanette) so I figured I would be fine. WRONG! The instructor introduced a new variation for thigh work and it BURNED LIKE THE FIRES OF HELL. I was seriously grimacing during the exercise.

Then after foolishly staying up until midnight playing plants vs. zombies, I woke up at 5 am to get ready for the road trip. I got to sleep in the car so I was good and ready to go when we got to Heavenly. As V and I were putting on our gear, we realized something was terribly wrong. I had forgotten to bring our snowboarding boots! *facepalm*

So V and I had to settle for rental boots. I never appreciated my own boots so much as I did this past weekend. I couldn’t get the rental boots laced tight enough without cutting the circulation off my feet. But riding with loose laces wasn’t a good option either. So I rode through the discomfort.

It was also my first time wearing a helmet and I wasn’t used to the extra weight on my neck. Two days of neck strain resulted in stiff, immovable neck on the third day. As if muscle soreness and stiffness wasn’t enough, I came down with a cold. I am so looking forward to the three-day weekend so I can recover and get back to normal.

 

 

 

 

I love Dailey Method

I mentioned that I lost 10 lbs in my previous post. Here’s how I did it.

It pretty much amounts to the oft repeated advice – eat less, exercise more. I’ll write about the “exercise more” part today and the “eat less” part  later.

I’ve never been an active person and I’ve always checked “sedentary” on lifestyle questionnaires. This is not to say that I didn’t try to be more active, I just couldn’t stick to something for longer than 3 months.

Exhibit A:  Fitness attempts while in college

• 1 semester of water aerobics
• 1 semester of weight lifting
• several months of Abs & Back gym class

Exhibit B: Fitness attempts post-college

• marathon training
• membership at 24 Hour Fitness – yoga classes and elliptical machine
• membership at Club One – personal training, elliptical, treadmill
• EA Sports Active on the Wii – circuit training

Excuses for quitting:

• class times were inconvenient
• gym was too far
• gym smelled bad
• no energy after work
• too boring
• knee pain

Of these excuses, the knee pain was the worst (and most legitimate). It forced me to quit even if mentally/emotionally, I wanted to keep going. Once my knee started acting up, it would just get worse and worse and I would be in pain ALL the time. I would get sharp pains from climbing stairs and walking on uneven surfaces like cobblestones. And the pain wouldn’t subside until months after I stopped exercising. I even had to wear a knee brace on our honeymoon because my knees can’t  hold up against NYC streets. So long story short, I have bad knees.

Then I heard about barre workouts. It’s a combination of ballet, yoga and pilates moves that are designed to tone your body and give you a lean physique. After more research, I convinced a friend to try the Dailey Method with me. The first class was BRUTAL. I wanted to quit within the first 15 minutes and I was ready to forfeit the remaining two classes in my introductory package. The package cost $50 and at that point, I would have paid another $50 not to have to go through it again.

I was sore for three days after that first class. I could hardly walk afterwards because my leg muscles were still quivering one hour after class ended. My friend and I decided to at least finish the three classes, can’t let good money go to waste. Then at the end of the third class, we realized that we were already showing signs of progress! Our thighs were beginning to show some definition and our triceps felt a little firmer. And that’s why I love the Dailey Method. Results in just three classes. I’ve been going religiously since June of this year and I have zero knee pain. I also have:

• slimmer thighs and calves
• higher butt
• upper arm definition
• smaller waist
• flatter abs

I love it and it hurts so good!

What makes it so hard? 

Blog reboot!

Let’s give blogging another try, shall we?

I’ve been blogging since 2001. I keep falling off the bandwagon but as they say, pick yourself up and get right back on!

Since May 2010, there have been some major-ish changes in the life of V and K:

- Moved to a new apartment. Our new apartment is three blocks away from our old apartment. Our apartment complex has a sauna (I’ve used maybe five times), a steam room (haven’t used it, smells funny) and a gym (used twice). It also has an awesome rooftop which we’ve used a lot for hanging out and parties.

I hosted a bridal shower in our "sunroom." It's really the area in front of the elevators leading to the rooftop.

- V started a full-time job. No more house spouse .

- I lost 10 lbs!! I started eating less and got hooked on barre at The Dailey Method. I was using EA Sports Active for a few months but had to quit due to knee pain.

- I started a side business. Head on over to The Shoe Tote and buy a protective bag for your shoes!

I was also able to keep up with my goal of traveling internationally at least once a year. 

Push it Good

After my “I’m fat and lazy” post yesterday, I should also point out the teeny tiny steps toward progress that I’ve made. I’m not hosting a pity party.

When I do go to the gym, I’ve noticed improvements in my strength and balance. Half of my routine includes the use of a 55 cm balance ball. I’m not as shaky as I used to be and maybe, just maybe, my core muscles are getting stronger. I’m also able to squeeze in more sets and reps on some of the exercises, which means that my muscles are getting stronger. I think I’ll increase the weights for my bicep curls in a week.

I’ve written about how I get bored easily on the treadmill and I think I may have found a solution! First, I make sure to set the channel to the Food Network. Then, I alternate between power walking and running. I can’t run for long periods of time because of my knees but they can handle short bursts of speed. I’m trying not to re-injure my knees so I’m starting out really slowly, I only run for .1-mile intervals. But I also only walk for .1-mile intervals so I end up running 50% of the distance. By giving myself small goals throughout, I can stay interested in the workout and extend the time I spend doing cardio.

I Hid From My Trainer

I think I hit a new low. Or a new high on the scale of odd behavior.

I dragged myself to the gym this weekend and spotted my trainer (I trained with him once, it was part of the new member package). I totally tried to hide from him. I avoided eye contact and tried to look like I was intensely focused on my workout.

It didn’t work though! He caught my eye and waved. And then he made corrections to my form. Blurg.

The Accidental Perv

I went to the gym today and embarrassed myself.

My gym has private/individual steam rooms in the locker rooms. I was reading the instructions and warnings on the glass door when I realized someone was in there! I hope the person realized I was just reading and not staring …so embarrassing.