Not So Saddle Sore

Yep, I've actually been on my bike enough so that my bum isn't quite so sore. That is a good thing! I know that the tour coming up is a big one but all I seem to have time to ride is about 10 miles or so. Not much on a bike I know. However, with everything else gong on I can't seem to fit in any longer rides at the moment. I'm hoping that by at least getting on my bike daily that it will help....evidence being soreness almost nonexisitent. I try to ride at a sprint pace when I'm doing this and having the bike trailer behind me when I ride feels like pulling a sail. It certainly helps build some leg strength. Other than that it's the usual traing that I've been doing and preping my gear for the ride. I now sport new padded bike shorts and gloves. My bike handles are finally adjusted at a height and distace that works well for me. So things are certainly coming together! Only 3 weeks to go!

Holy Cow!!!

Mid June already!! Where did the time go? Ok, so the big bike tour is only5 weeks away and I feel not as prepared as I would like. Don't get me wrong, I've been working out and on my bike (finally) but I'm amazed at how fast the time has passed since I've signed up. Ok, so what has my workout regiment been? Karate 3 hours a week. Which, btw, I tested and made it to my next belt. I'm super excited about that! That means I'm only a few months away from testing for my black belt. Way Cool! I've also been out on my bike fairly regularly lately, a good thing! I've only been able to do about 10-15 miles each time but I've been trying to do that about 3x per week. I've also been doing yoga in the am...helps my back and neck a lot. I guess good posture is a good thing. So keep cheering me on. As I get closer to this bike tour I'm excited but more nervous too. HOpefully that nervous energy will translate into me actually biking farther. :)

Now I need to make sure that I have supplies for the ride as well! Time to do a little shopping..:) Like I needed an excuse right? lol

A good workout...

As most days with karate, it's a good workout. In the summer class is usually moved outside due to building closure. Last night was the first night outside and let me tell you I could feel the heat and it didn't even get that hot here! I mean it was only about 68F here and yet sweat was pouring off me. The reason: It was a good workout! A half hour or more on kata and I was definately feeling the burn. I'm excited though because it was 1/2 hour of continuous workout, with out stopping for a break, and even though I was sweating I felt great. I was able to maintain conversation without the huffing and puffing. This tells me that my workouts are paying off in building up my endurance. I wasn't as tired as I usually am after a good workout. I'm excited about that. Maybe I'll be able to handle that "small" bike ride I signed up for in July after all. :)

Weighing in

Right now on Mondays, while my daugther is in swim lessons, I do laps. It works out rather nice cause it's about 25 minutes of actual workout time in the water...and that's enough for me. In the locker room they have a scale and I usually try only to weight myself about once a month. It helps so I don't feel to discouraged about any weight fluctuation. All you women out there know how bloating can affect that scale! So today I weighed myself for the first time in 2 months. To my surprise I'm down another 5 pounds! I'm not sure how or where it went but woohoo! That means I only have 5 more pounds to go before I hit my pre-prego weight from 10 years ago (first born). I'm excited! So I'll keep doing what I'm doing for now....Maybe it's the Ben & Jerry's...Then again that's probably wishful thinking!

Monkeying Around

The few days ago we (my little crew and hubby) went to the park so the kids could enjoy a change of scenry. While there, and in attempt to encouarge my oldest that exercise can be fun, my hubby challenges myself and son to hang with our chins above the monkey bars for as long as we can. (Mind you my hubby does pull-ups that are really smooth!) Did any of you have to do that when you were in HS? I remember having to do it and how awful I was at it. Well, things haven't changed much. Though I did put in a better effort it was still sad to watch. Not only that we were swinging rung to rung to get across and timing it. Yeah.....My hubby: 5 sec. My son: 9 sec. Myself: 28sec!!!! 28Sec?! %$#@! What the heck? I couldn't seem to get my body coordinated with my arms so that my swing would help propel me forward. What a sad representation for women! I obviously found something I need to work at. :)

Wishful thinking

The healing process seems so SLOW! I know that I only sprained/twisted my ankle but it feels like it's been forever and it's still not completely healed. Ok, enough whining.

Though I haven't been on the bike as much as I would like, I still have been trying to make sure that I boost my endurance and cardio other ways. Playing tag, though not good for my ankle, is great for that! I have done a lot of running around chasing the kids in the yard. It's been a lot of fun and a good workout, especially when I'm chasing them uphill. I have to say that I'm getting old though. I look at the endless amount of energy my kids have and they are hardly winded by it all. Once I catch them then they are squeling to do it all over again. I, on the other hand, could use a nap! When did that happen? I get the feeling that I'm not as fit as I once thought! On the plus side, it sure has made me more aware of what I eat and my activity.

So here's to wishing I was as energetic as kids and realizing that will never happen! May it continue to push me onward in my quest to find more ways to be healthy and active.

As a side note: For those who think gardening isn't a cardio workout, I beg to differ. Try clearing out land and then tilling it the old fashion way: with a garden hoe! If you aren't sweating when the job is done it's because you didn't do it!

Just call me Grace!

So this past weekend was a lot of fun! My oldest son and I went to a karate seminar in Toledo, OH. It was a lot of fun and a great workout! 6 hours worth! By the time I was done, I was tired. Now you would think that if I can do kata (granted, not very pretty yet), weild some weaponry, fall without causing major injury to myself, and perform some self defense that I would be a little bit coordinated. I can chew gum and walk after all. Sometimes I can even talk on the phone while doing that too! So what happens on Sunday? Well, as I was walking down the back porch stairs and fell as I was hitting the last step. How it happened for sure I don't know. All I know is that by the time I realized that I was going to fall it was to late to pull back my body becuase the momentum was already to far in the other direction. I landed on my right ankle. Initially I thought I might have broken it but fortuately that wasn't the case. It is surely sparined though. I have been hobbling around all week. UGH! I did do laps in the pool on Monday but found that I could only do the crawl and very slow at that. I had to skip karate on Monday, although I did try it on Wednsday. Still sore. Yesterday I thought I would just do a little garden work on our back hill. Bad idea, that made it even more sore. I just have to give it a little more of a break. How frustrating is that?! What makes me feel worse is that I have really been on a roll with my workouts. Been doing great and now I have to back it down so much that I'm afraid that by the time I get back into it I'll be starting all over again. Oh well. Can you say "Grace"?

Ode to Ben & Jerry

How cold you are, sneeking into my house
with all the grandeur your pint size can manage!
But alas I succumb to your sinfulness,
how you satifsy me so...your creamy texture is heaven.
One delicious bite after another is magic,
making me crave you more.
I relish each and every flavor realizing that it
is a perilous doom.
Knowing that every bit separtes me farther from
my goal, but I care not....I eat on in reckless abandon.
What power you have over me you
pint size saboteur!


Ok, enough! In my defense I have done laps in the pool for 1/2 hour, rode 5 miles (I know, I need to be going farther...I'll get there!) and 90 mintues of karate. And that was just yesterday. Today I've already been out for a brisk walk. I still have plenty of time to get more exercise in today! I know that it doesn't come close to working off the cals that I took in over the weekend, but it's a start. I'm not going to be inviting Ben & Jerry back into my house for quite a while!

Lovin' Spring

Ok, it's been a long winter and I am definately ready for this spring/summer. It has been so nice to be outside! I have been trying to get in some good cardio outside now as oppose to the gym. Hiking is wonderful!! In the last week I've hiked four days! It felt awesome! The warm weather, sun, nice breeze and a toddler on my back, what more can you ask for? Yes, spring has arrived!!

I've been trying to keep up on swimming at least once a week. It's easier now that my 3 year old has to go for a swim class. I can do 1/2 hour of laps while she is participating in her class. And because I don't want her to miss a class I will make much more effort to be there. Motivation comes in many forms. :)

On top of that I finally took my bike in to have a longer stem put on the handlebars. What a difference that makes. I took it for a short spin and I can already tell that my neck won't bother me as much. They tuned it up for me also. Now there are no excuses! I'm loooking forward to putting some miles on it now. Between the hiking, swimming, karate and bike rides I really hope to boost my fitness level. Now I just have to stick with it!

Shout Out...

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! To all those who made a donation for team 1st Century Riders in our quest to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. We are so close to our goal of $1500 already! Couldn't have done it without your help! Thank you to all of you for the emotional support and encouragement not only to help with fund-raising but also for motivation in training. It really means a lot!

Another Rank

Yep. I am now officially a 2nd grade brown belt. So what does that really entail? Well, about 2 1/2 years of training, a bunch katas, a number of different kicks & punches, along with self defense, a handful of teaching hours and a couple of book reports, and some weapons training. When it's put like that it doesn't seem like a lot. Trust me though it takes some work. Which is why I'm excited to make it to the next level. It's kind of scary too that within a year I could actually be testing for my first black belt. This, of course means that I would have mastered being a student. :) Exciting. And in the process of doing something I really love I get a good workout.

Speaking of workout, I made it to the gym today. Yeah!!! 1/2 hour on the bike. It felt pretty good. I know that I really need to do more but with one particular child having some separation anxiety I really felt that 1/2 hour was a good length of time. So over all, I'm feeling pretty good about this week with the workouts I've been able to get in (karate 2x, gym 1x, 2 walks each 30 min, and some steps). Now as long as I don't sabotage it with the wrong diet....I'm hungry! :)

My Bum!

Was able to get a three workouts in this week and I feel pretty good about that. I made myself get on the bike...I'm not fond of the stationary bike. Bet you couldn't tell. :) However I think it went good. I'm working on my cardio/endurance issue and have found that another one has cropped up. It's my tush. Funny how it's sore from sitting on that bike seat for a while. I definately need to get my butt on that bike more often! Got to get those calluses built up. :)

Ceili Fundraising Event

Ok, here's your chance to help out raising money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Come to the Ceili (party)! Here's the info:

When: April 6th
Where: 1 Trick Pony, Grand Rapids
Time: 4-9pm

It's for a great cause! What easier way to donate then to come and listen to some music? There will be a seisun at the end if anyone would like to jump in and play!

Catching Up News....

I haven't made it to the gym as much as I would like to. However, I'm glad I live in the mid-west. With all the snow, sledding is a must and what better way to burn some cals! Especially when hauling a 30 pounder uphill everytime he says "again". :) That's not to mention the preschooler that tends to hitch a ride. I know that workouts can get boring and if you aren't having fun then you won't stick with them, but I have no problem sticking with this rountine. It's a blast! I'm happy to report that I am now only 10 pounds for where I was pre-children! I can hardly believe it. That means during the month of Janurary I actually lost 9 lbs. Yeah! Turst me...go sledding! I don't think I can attribute it to anything else.

That's not to say that I haven't completely used the membership that I just purchased. I have been getting in some laps in the pool. It's quite refreshing. I also, finally, pedaled a bike. I know, I haven't done it in about 4 months...Ugh. (This is a bike tour I sighed up for right?) I can tell that it has been a while. Although I was proud of myself for keeping a steady pace for 20 minutes. Now I just have to keep adding on to that. Riding indoors isn't my favorite so when the snow melts it'll be good to hit the road. Until then I'll just keep trying to boost my cardio and endurance.

Fundraising has gone better than I expected! I'm happy to report that our team, 1st Century Riders, is almost at it's goal of $1500. Isn't that great?! My partner in crime has a really cool fundraising idea that will put it over the top. Kudos F2F. You're awesome! Just because we are close to our goal doesn't mean we want to stop fundraising. The more the better. These kids are worth it! Just click on the donation link on this page to give your pledge. Thanks to all who have helped us...we really appreciate your help!

First Workout Of The Year

Ok, I'm excited. Finally after a busy holiday season things are slowing down and everyone is healthy. Which got me to thinking that maybe we (my family and I) should do something together to stay fit/healthy. So after some research our family now had a YMCA membership. I'm really excited about that because I feel like that has given me back the opportunity to workout with out kids crawling under me when I am in downward-dog pose. Not only that I will be able to take the kids to the pool during any weather and that is always a lot of fun for them.

So yesterday was my first workout in quite a while. I was able to do 20 minutes on the stair stepper, 1o minutes on the eliptical machine, and 40 minutes on the weight machines. I know that on the weight machines I probably should be doing more reps but seeing as how I was figuring out the adjustments on them and what they do, I figured that doing 2 reps of 10 on each was good enough. It felt really good to be able to do that. I am a little sore today but not to bad. The cool thing is that my kids had lots of fun while I was working out. I am hoping to be able to start a regular MWF workout routine and take the kids swimming on the weekends. I'm geeked! So Hooray for the Y!

Say Yes to Sledding!

So being that biking outside is out of the question right now and I don't have a bike trainer I have to seek alternative exercises. Not that I have been very motivated to put in a tape and exercise to it but I am trying not to totally lose myself to the sedentary life of winter, as well as all the yummy comfort food. I mean, who can stop eating? So at the very least I try to take my kids outside to play. What better fun is there in the snow than sledding with kids? All the laughing, crying from snow in the face, then asking for more is just way to much fun. Not to mention how many times I have pulled them up the hill in the sled. One being 35 lbs, one is 25 lbs, and the oldest is 90 lbs. Now I don't normally pull the older one. Only on occassion and never up a hill. The other two I pull around all the time. Not just running around the front yard, but up the hill everytime. That certaingly gets my heart pumping! After about an hour of playing like that outside I am whooped! But it feels good and I think I got my workout in. So even though I can't seem to quit eating the food and I'm not motivated to do a regular exercise routine, at least I go sledding 3-4 times a week (and karate 2x). So I will sled on, my friends.

News...

I have not been neglecting my blog on purpose, just been really busy with other things lately. One of which is the fundraising for the WAM 2008 bike tour. I have to say that I am happy with how it is going. I have had a lot of support from a lot of people. Thank you so much for all the donations towards my fundraising goals. I hope you are as excited as I am about being that much closer to granting a wish. These children certainly deserve it. The last I checked F2F and I have raised over $600!! Yeah!!!

Now for that training. Haven't been doing so much lately. And of course with all the comfort food and Thanksgiving holiday I may have sabotaged myself! lol This time of year is bad for my hips. :) Thank goodness for karate 2x per week. I know I get a good workout there! Plus I love it. I am excited to say that I have just tested and passed for my 3rd grade brown belt! WooHoo!! I can't believe I am actually a brown belt. I'm thrilled! It means I am that much closer to being a black belt. According to my instructor about another year, though it is hard for me to imagine! Now I'll be getting into more self defense (against knives and guns), some more weapons training, and then having to do some reading on martial arts history. I'm excited! Sparring is one thing in karate I don't do often but participated in last night. Now I remember why I haven't done it in a while. No shin guards! I desparately need some. My shins are looking a pretty shade of purple. Don't get me wrong, I love purple-just not when it hurts!

Stay tuned, I'll keep you posted on the fundraising, bike training, and how much better I am at kicking my own butt...:)

It's Official

Yep, that's right. You can now classify me as out of my mind. :) I have just registered today for the WAM 2008 bike tour. Wow! All I can say is that I'm excited and nervous. I mean 300 miles. I was just on the site to see what the route would be and here's what was posted: Start in Traverse City and ride to Big Rapids. Day 2 Ride to DeWitt. Day 3 Finish at Chelsea. Ok, doesn't sound that bad right? Then I looked at the state map. Holy COW! Definately nervous. I think it's time to change my workout stratagy which hasn't been much lately. Definately going to have to get the aerobics in so that I'm not breathing like I'm a smoker after about 10 minutes of working out. lol I'm so excited too! Can you imagine?

I've registerd with my anonomyous friend :) as the team 1st Century Riders. If you're reading this, we could really use your help in donations. You can click on the donations link on the left. Remember, it's to give children that are terminally ill something joyous, hope. Every little bit counts!

A Big Thank You

I just had to dedicate this post to BJB. You are awesome! Why? Because you are always helping others out!

Since deciding to try this bike tour you have not only been emotionally supportive, but you go the extra mile and try to help me raise money for it too. That is above and beyond. I want to thank you for doing that for me. Like I said AWESOME!

Always Something...

Sometimes the best intentions just get squashed with other things that seem to take priority. Sometimes it's that piece of chocolate just calling my name. Maybe it's that really wonderful dinner that I had at the restaurant that was loaded with God knows how many calories. Yummy! The extra hour of sleep I felt I needed. The projects that get in the way. Somehow these things just keep sneaking their way back into my day. How it happens is sometimes a mystery. But the fact of the matter is it does happen. My motivation needs a swift kick in the butt!

Once again my biking was put on hold. Why this time you ask? (I bet the suspense is killing you!LOL) Landscaping! Yep! That's it! The thing is I started this project last weekend and what happens? It's dragged out because, you guessed it, other things get in the way of me finishing it. I am mostly finished with it now. Just have to transplant of few things. Then it's onto working on the back porch. The good thing is that I am still finding the time for karate and yoga, or some sort of aerobic activity. Now if I could just get that biking in...I'll keep you posted.:)