Sonia Hovet

Hmm! Finished week 6, decided that I need to increase the size of weights I use for a better work out. I'm certain that I want to have SORE muscles at the end of my work-out. Gosh I can't believe I made a comment like that. I also plan to increase my walking with longer strides and of course speed so Michelle will not have to say "pick up the pace Sonia". This week I did 4 miles on the bike and 1/2 mile of the elliptical I felt good with this achievement.

Looking forward to week 7 - we will work-out in the pool and climb "A" mountain, hope to gain time on my walk/climb and reach the very tip of the "A". Wish me luck..

Sadat - Cardio Relays - I Smell a Cheater

Last couple of days have left me sore and tired.

Monday, i did not participate for the entire class as i had to leave early for a meeting. But i did get a 2 mile run in where i miraculously came back first. We then did some lunges and kettle bell lifts before i had to leave. Not too strenuous, but at least i got the run in.

Tuesday, we split between Blake and Dictator Michelle. Started off with Michelle this time, and we did the same exercises we did in week two with running up and down the back stairs with weights, lunges, indian run, squat presses, and repeat. I am happy to say i did not have to walk back up the steps this time. I still am not doing it easily, but at least i didnt stop my jog. We went back to lift with Blake. He had us do bench, back rows, chest flys, and back flys all for a minute each. I didnt think lifting 25lb dumbells would hurt as much as they did, but, they did. I was exhausted after each lift and we only had a 10 sec break in between. Once we finished one rotation we had to get in 50 jumping jacks and 5 berpies in 10 secs. Second time around hurt more, and we had to get in 10 berpies in 20 secs. finished right on the dot.

Wednesday, I am completely sore in my chesticle area after yesterdays lifts. I was happy that we were only doing cardio. But man, did we do some cardio. We split into teams of 3 and had to each finish 4 cardio stations. A 1 mile treadmill run at incline 6.5. That was no joke. Never run on an incline, its just not smart. and it hurts, and i dont like hills. finished just over 10 mins while sprinting at the end. Elliptical: 1 mile at resistance 11 and incline 11. This was also hard, it didnt feel like the numbers were going fast enough, but i finished just under 10 minutes. Row 1600 Meters. Not as bad as i thought, this was probably the easiest of the three. Finished in about 8 mins. Last was the bike for 2.5 miles. I went all out as fast as i could the entire time. I finished in 8.25. When i finished i started running down the stairs, but was blocked by Caitlin the soon to be winner of the relay. i feel jipped. But she has it coming the next time we do this.

Tara- Boot Camps and Relays

I always wait until I have this epiphany before I blog. And this one is a review of where I was 6 weeks ago to where I am now. Result: I am a new person...well almost...I still have a ways to go.

We had our mid-way assessments last week and I knocked 2 minutes off my mile run, added 10-15 sit-ups and 10-15 push-ups to my totals. That was great to measure the numbers compared to the first day, but I think what gave me even more encouragement was this past Tuesday when drill sergeant Michelle did a work-out with us that she did the 2nd week of training. It is called the boot camp class. We run stairs on the east side of the SRC carrying weights, then some lunges, then some squats with weights, then this crazy run thing with a 10lb weight and you run in a line and pass the weight back (thanks Wes for the extra lap...apparently Michelle thought we cheated so she added another lap) and then we run some more stairs and more lunges and squats. The first time was soooo hard. And this time, it was a great work-out but I didn't think I was going to barf afterwards. Last time, I couldn't complete the work-out because we had to go lift weights with Blake afterwards. This time, I started with Blake and ended with Michelle. I completed the whole work-out. I think that is a great accomplishment. I look back on the last 6 weeks, and the things we were doing those first couple of weeks, I looked at the trainers like "you're crazy!", but now, I say "bring it on"!!! Don't get me wrong, I still struggle everyday, but I am getting the work-out done a little quicker. Running is my weakness (and hate every minute of it), but it is getting a little easier. I reviewed my short term/long term goals and one was to run a mile. I am doing this plus a little more.

Today we did a cardio relay (1 mile on 6.5 incline on treadmill, 2.5 miles on bike at level 6, 1600m of rowing, and 1 mile on 11 incline and 11 intensity on elliptical). We were paired into 3 groups and I was with two other girls. I apologized to them that they got me, the slower one on cardio, in their group. I was out to prove everyone wrong, and I was going to bust my butt for our group so we would not be last (especially me). Well, we did it and with some blocking by one of my teammates on the stairs, we came in first!!!! Yep, it was a fight to the end! If anyone is keeping tabs....YES! That means we beat Sadat's team!!!! That was a great accomplishment!!

Let me end with this. I love this program and am getting really bummed that it will be over soon. Maybe our group can continue through the holiday break until school starts...I don't know. But, I love this!

Wes- Sad Day

Well I haven't been able to work out for the whole previous week. I was doing a warm-up run last Sunday and all of a sudden I had a terrible pain run down my leg. It felt just like my orginal injury in my back. When I went to the doctor he told me to take a week off from doing any physical activity. This put a temporary stop to my fall shape up. I only wish this had put a stop to my eating. It is amazing how fast weight can come back on when I'm not working out on a daily basis.

I returned to the fall shape up yesterday with speed walking instead of running. In all the other activities I was able to keep pace and do all the exercises in full motion. Hopefully today I will be able to continue in my recovery. I'll keep you posted.

Discouraging

Today was a little deflating, because by the end of the work out I was completely exhausted to the point I was not giving the last exercises my best effort.

We started out warming up on the stairs at the back of the SRC, really no problem, got the heart rate up quite a bit.

From there we headed to Sparky's Yard and stretched out and then got into some partner lifting. While one partner either did squats or bench press the other partner did burpies. Honestly I do not think the lifting would have been half as difficult without the burpies in between. I don't know if I do those right, but my shoulders are so tired from the constancy of activity. The lifting was sets of nine, but we had to take four seconds to go down on each rep. The end was difficult, but again I am a firm believer that it is the lack of a break.

By this point I was drained, but we never stopped doing things, the constant activity is a real challenge. I have been more the type lets get three sets of eight with more weight in five minutes give or take. Then take a minute or two and move to the next lift. This is totally different and I am drained at the end of each day.

This could be helping, but I can't help but feel weaker when I am struggling on my third set of benching 85 pounds, when previously I could double that for the same number of sets and reps.

Daryl

Mid Point Fitness Testing

Here are my stats:

Initial Test: 9:48 for 1.32 mile run
Mid Point Test: 8:52 for 1.32 mile run

Initial Test: 40 push ups
Mid Point Test: 45 push ups

Initials Test: 50 sit ups
Mid Point Test: 60 sit ups

The run, I was feeling good about going in, I hadn't done much running the last few years, so I thought I could improve there.

Push ups especially surprised me as I have definitely felt like I have been getting weaker and losing mass in my upper body, mostly due to having to sit out everything for two weeks with the thumb injury.

I also did more sit ups than I thought I would be able to do, so I guess even with a lot of missed classes the shape up is helping.

I only have two more classes I will miss the rest of the way so hopefully we will see marked improvement on the final fitness test. I have also begun a new diet this week, so I am hoping the combination will start to lead to some visible results.

Daryl

Sadat - Kenobi and Me

Well finally, I did some exercisin on the weekend. Both nights i went for a 1.5 mile run with my dog, Kenobi. Normally, Kenobi is a jerk. He likes to pull hard and run after the neighborhood cats, birds and rabbits. He also lunges at other calmer dogs on the walk. Like i said, hes a jerk. But i think alot of this has to do with the fact that hes cooped up in the house all day, and with the heat the way it is, we dont get to play with him much until the evening. Plus, hes an Alaskan dog, he hates the sun. Well, he did absolutely great on the run. He didnt care about a single animal (except one female black lab that he has a thing for, he blushes, its silly really), he was full steam ahead for the beginning of the run. it was great trying to keep up with him. But after about 2 minutes into the run, we finally got on the same pace and he took things easier. By the end of the run, i was the one dragging him and he had to keep up. I think he really enjoyed the fast paced walk he was doing and it definitely let out some extra energy that i hate dealing with when i try to watch my HBO shows on Sunday nights. I cannot wait to run with him tonight again. It felt great.

This brings me to my next point. When i first filled out my application to win this program, i stated that one of my many goals was to be able to run with my dog. Well, i just did that 5 weeks in. I definitely thought it would take longer than that because of the shape i was in, but this program is incredible. Running (i hate running, have i said this before?) has become easier for me, i dont breathe like a walrus anymore, i can find a good pace quicker and i pay less attention to what hurts and more attention to where the finish line is. i may actually like running now. Stay tuned to see how long that lasts..

Sonia - Week 5

Well I have completed wk 5 and looking to wk 6??#@#$ - So far I have been able to ALMOST keep up with the team. The assessement we took did not show any lbs. lost - imagine that?, however I do feel more robust. I dislike being sweaty - I'm sure everyone will say "THAT'S GOOD" - not!

Well here goes another week - pump those irons!!!!!!

Mid-point assessments - Amy

This is the intensity of Fall Shape Up: I have mud all over my legs, sweat on my pink sweatband, and blood on my thigh from running through a brick wall.

Okay, I accidentally ran too close to the brick wall while avoiding a mud puddle this morning during our mid-point assessments. But still. I FEEL strong enough to break through walls.

We weighed ourselves before running, just like we did one month ago. I have gained four pounds. However, I know that it's all muscle. My clothes are fitting differently, I feel great, and I can tell a difference in how I look as well. I'll be honest, it was a little discouraging to look at the numbers on the scale. But, especially this past week, I have done very well feeding my body good nutrition, I worked out six out of seven days this week, and when my health and muscle tone are so obviously improving, the numbers on the scale matter much less.

And I've improved quite a bit in our assessment exercises! In our 3-lap jog not only did I finish with a wound of champions on my leg, I finished in almost one minute less time (11:48 --> 10:53). I doubled the amount of push-ups I can do before exhaustion (16 --> 32), and also increased the amount of crunches I can completed in one minute (52 --> 65).

Look out, brick wall.

Sadat - Mid Way Assessments

This week was another week that i got to see myself improve and do better. I am finding it easier to do some of the endurance activities that i otherwise would have struggled with before. The past few work outs have been a butt kicker for sure.

Monday - We did our HEAT exercises in the HEAT. Running around the track doing doing berpies, push ups, lunges, jump squats, tricep dips, mountain climbers, and back rows, you know, normal Monday stuff. We got through this about 3 times each. I was exhausted, but not exhausted enough to not do some sprints. They felt terribly great. I havent done sprints in forever, but it was a nice experience to feel my legs using all their strength to push me as fast as i could. Good work out Sara.

Tuesday- We had fun with Commander Michelle and Blake. This one definitely left me wanting a long nap afterwards. We were back on the field. We started off with a warm up lap around the track. As soon as we got back, it went to lunges and jumping jacks. Alot of them. Then we did a buddy exercise where we had to hold the ends of two barbells over our shoulders while our buddy held the back end. We would then jog or walk and do as many military presses together for half a lap. The second half was much of the same except we shrugged. When we got back, we did suicide sprints up and down the sides of the sand volleyball courts, mind you the farthest distance we had to sprint was about 90 yards. After that we did berpies, push ups, step ups and did the circuit again except with out the buddy lifts. I felt terribly great again. Thanks for that work out.

Wednesday - Duathlon Day. We had an option of running either 2, 3 or 4 miles followed by a 20 min bike ride on the stationary bikes at the SRC. I chose the 4 mile option. I felt great in the beginning, i had a sizable lead on everyone and thought, hey, i might actually come back first on this one. Too bad i am not Magellan and i took two wrong turns. This cost me a lot of time and CrossCountryGuy and Sara smoked me after that. I think i hit my wall at mile three and really had to slow things down. It also did not help that i wore black on black on black in 100 degree weather. But, i finished in 44 minutes, not bad for my first 4 mile run ever. Biking only lasted 8 minutes because i got back so late.

Thursday - MID WAY ASSESSMENTS. If you look back at one of my first posts, i noted the assessment numbers from day one. A 9:47 mile on the treadmill. 25 sit ups and 46 push ups in a minute. I was out to beat that today. And i am happy to say i did. My mile time outside (which is apparently slower than doing it on the treadmill) was 8:07. Thats a huge improvement. almost a full 2 minutes. I felt great about that. Sit ups, i didnt think i would improve on at all, but this time i got 47 in. Wow right? Push ups, i thought no way is there a chance i can get more than 46. So i started off fast and got 38 done in the first 30 secs, in the last 30 i added another 11 and finished with 49. I like this class.

Thanks to all the trainers and people in the groups for keeping us all going. I look forward to this everyday and were half way there people.

Week 5 over - Amy

I can't believe that it has been a whole 5 weeks already.

Like most people, I want changes in my health and appearance to be fast and dramatic, so it has been easy to get discouraged when I compare my progress to where I want it to be. I have to be real with myself, though, and admit that I feel great, and that is the most important thing. Especially on the days when I eat well, I can feel my body using the food as fuel to to function and help me not just get through the day, but to really thrive. This may seem like a given, that food helps you function. But I feel like most of the time I look at food just as something to taste good and take away hunger. Food is what my body needs, though. It needs the carbs, fat, protein, vitamins, all of it, in the right form and the right amounts. So when I look at food as something to feed my body with AS WELL as enjoy, versus the other way around, my whole approach changes. In general, I like eating healthy. It makes me feel great. I've kept a food diary the last three days, and except for a couple items was really proud of it. And I don't feel deprived at all.

Today we ran stairs as our warm-up. Yep, the warm-up. Zack pushed us hard today and it was fantastic, there were several reps in some of the exercises that I couldn't finish, and it feels good to know that I have goals to work toward in those areas. In a few weeks hopefully I'll be able to feel the burn but finish those reps.

I know that I'm working muscles that have never been worked before, especially in my back and arms. I've always been afraid that if I work those areas too hard I'll end up more beefy than lean. But I'm realizing that more reps with do-able weights plus a nutritious, moderate diet will mean an overall lean body, and that building muscle burns fat.

We have our assessments on Monday, and I'm hoping for a smaller number on the scale, but I'm prepared to be content with more muscle and less inches. I know I've made progress and that I'll keep pushing hard for the rest of the program. My goals are worth it!

Food

Just wanted to drop a quick note and say that the trainers Fall Shape Up employs are amazing. In my case Zack has been great in adding additional information that it seems like he wouldn't have to do. He sent us all an email giving us great nutrition tips and has been very open to follow up questions.

Now it is up to me to take the nutrition to heed. Zack gave me a little greater push to this today when he said that no matter how much working out you do results will be very limited without a balanced diet.

I have always heard a lot about the importance of eating right, but no one really gives much direction in how to do it. So the email he sent was vastly helpful, to the point I might even be able to do it.

Daryl

Another week in the books

Monday's workout was tough. I've been on many, many runs before being previously a cross country runner, but this one was different than anything I had been on.

It was such a great morning that we got out of the stuffy SRC and ran around campus. But we would run for two or three minute stretches and then we would sprint for fifteen or twenty seconds. Zack explained that the sprinting built up strength in the legs and the jogging is more for cardio needs.

If the running, sprinting interchanges were not enough for twenty minutes, every time we came across a set of stairs (which there are plenty on campus) we would sprint up them and back down. Constant motion.

We got to the opposite end of campus and found a parking lot for a break that consisted of lunges and more sprinting. The break part was that at least we had a partner for this and we got to rest as the other person ran or lunged to the other side of the lot. After we completed a couple of sets it was back to the jogging, sprinting, stair combos.

It was such a crazy random workout that I think it helped me significantly. I might do it in the future on my own just because it seemed random and it made it more fun, kind of like how Phoebe motivated herself to run on the show Friends. Though a partner is definitely better for this type of work out to make sure you push yourself on the sprinting portions.

Thursday's workout never seemed particularly difficult, but I was exhausted at its conclusion. I was sweating bullets after our warm up of sets of stairs with a break of wall sits. By the way, the wall site is a much more daunting proposition after running sets of stairs.

I have also been a consistent enemy of stretching but we did some lower back stretches today that I actually found to be helpful.

Then it was back to Sparky's yard where, of course, we got some more sets of lunges in. Zack then asked what we would like work for the rest of the day. The two people who spoke up said abs and inner thighs. I never knew there were so many different work outs for each of these. By the end of session my ears were popping. Whenever my ears pop that means I am dead tired. Writing this three hours later is still feel the blood is pumping through my legs a little faster.

At the mid point of the semester I have missed half the sessions, so it is not fair to judge results. That being said I have lost seven pounds since September, so I must be getting a little bit more compact, which is good. Although I am not really intending to lose weight.

On a side note Zack has been awesome and very available for follow ups. Even offering to put together work outs for the weekend to keep us active.

Daryl

Amy - Week #5

I noticed today that I have calluses on my elbows from doing planks all the time in Sparky's Yard. I love that. I feel hard core, like "one of those people" who work out all the time. I definitely feel more in shape these days. I can feel muscle development where I didn't have any before, and I think I look a bit more toned, although I can't tell a huge visible difference yet. I'm hoping that will come as I continue to push myself.

I've done pretty well this week with eating healthy. Part of that is due to our trainer making us keep another food diary, for three days this time. On our last food diary he gave us feedback by putting a star next to all the things we should change to more healthy alternatives. So now I know what to target to avoid those stars.

One big change in my eating habits is eating more often. I always thought that sounded counter-productive. I mean, if I want to lose weight I have to eat less, right? But according to our trainer we should be eating small meals/snacks every 2-3 hours, with a combination of protein, carbs, and healthy fats each time. For example, I could have a mid-morning snack of skim milk with whey powder (protein), almonds (fat), and raisins (carbs). It's fun getting creative with healthy foods, and exploring different flavors as opposed to focusing on what I need to cut out of my diet. This morning, for example, I had some scrambled eggs with fresh tomato slices, and a waffle with honey, almond slices, and raisins. As I consistently eat small, healthy meals, I'm finding that naturally I am hungry every 2-3 hours, and I feel better than when I eat heavy meals 2-3 times a day.

On the working out side of things, we ran today. A lot. My shin started hurting at one point, but our trainer corrected my stride so that I was using more bounce and less length, and the pain went away. I love Wednesdays. Long cardio and I are better friends than me and berpies.

Tara-What used to hurt doesnt hurt anymore

Finally! What used to hurt doesn't hurt anymore. This is a two-fold accomplishment.

Because I was so overweight and out-of-shape, I used to have a lot of back problems and couldn't walk long distances. I am happy to report, I don't have that problem anymore! (CLAP-CLAP-CLAP...Fist pump in the Air!). With this new found freedom, I enjoy activity a lot more. I get so antsy now on the weekends, that my husband and little daughter and I all have to go out and do something. This past weekend, we all went to the Zoo on Saturday and then on Sunday we walked around IKEA. What a great feeling!!! I owe it all to this program!

I am also not as sore anymore after work-outs and during the week. This is great and all, but I feel like I might have hit a plateau. I get worried now when I am not sore after a work-out. I think starting today, I am going to push myself a little harder on the running, pump more weight in Sparky's Yard and start doing man push-ups.

Have I told you I love this program and think EVERYONE should do it? If you are thinking about it, I would reccomend this. It is hard the first two weeks, but after that, you start craving it. I love how it makes me feel afterwards.

Toodles.

Sadat - Ran a Stinkin 5K

Whose got two thumbs and ran a 5k? Thats right, this guy.

I can honestly think back to my previous years of playing sports and working out, and i dont think ive ever run more than a mile at any given time. Needless to say, running a 5k kicked butt. I am not a runner, i may have said that before, so running the 5k through the mean streets of tempe last Wednesday seemed like a daunting task. I had negative thoughts going into it. i was wondering where the nearest stores were to the run so that if i collapsed, maybe i could crawl to that store and call 911 or maybe get a gatorade. Have i written my will yet? Do i even have anything good enough to give away in my will? What will happen in the Series Finale of 'Entourage' next year? Is E gonna get married for real? However, it wasnt that bad at all. I started off fast as normally do, then, i slowed into about the 5th postion. After a while, probably after the 1st mile, i was able to pass the 4th runner. The two runners in front were too fast for me, but my goal was to not stop once to walk. Wes was within distance for me to beat him, however, everytime he slowed down and i picked it up, it didnt seem like i was going anywhere. So i kept on truckin along. Finally, he started to walk around the back of the SRC, a mere 100 feet from the finish. Thats when i kicked it into high gear and beat him to the end. Thats right Wes, that cloud of dust you saw in front of you was me.

All in all it went very well, finished between 25-30 minutes. I didnt expect to do that. Id like to do it again and see how much better i can do next time.

So far, im 10 lbs down since the begining, and ive had to put belts on pants and shorts that normally just held on by themselves. Feel good about that.

Mid way assessments on Thursday, well see how much better i really am doing.

Amy - Week #4

The weather has been excellent lately! I was super excited to do the 5k campus run this morning out in the half-rainy, half-cloudy goodness. Therefore, I was super disappointed to learn that the plans had changed and we were going to do cardio indoors on 3 different sets of cardio machines.

I decided it was simply impossible to stay indoors with the weather like it is, so the trainer mapped out a run over campus and three of us decided to do that instead of an apparatus workout.

It was exciting for a couple reasons... One, as I've already talked about, the weather was brilliant! Like those Guinness commercials with the cartoon guys: "Brilliant!" That kind of weather. Another was that, even without a trainer looking over our shoulders we were able to really push ourselves this morning. We jogged a little farther than he told us to around campus, and sprinted a few times during the jog. As we approached the SRC on the return, my legs were about dead, and I figure that's a good sign. We also did the unthinkable... ran stairs without being told to. I know. Fall Shape Up builds muscle and kills brain cells.

I felt great today though and am looking forward to tomorrow. Also my back pretty much healed over the weekend and I've been able to fully participate this week.

Brilliant!

Wes - Gettin' Down To Shape Up

Well there are a few different things that I have learned about the Fall Shape Up. Adding to the list of hating squats are now squat jumps and burpies. Burpies combine jumping straight up, falling to the ground, doing a push up and then flying up to jump in the air all over again. Sometimes it is served with a side of "hold this big round exercise ball while you are jumping too".

Some of the things that I have started to notice is that I have lost weight and the muscle definition is returning to my legs. Unfortunately, the definition is not symetrical with my right leg much larger and more defined than my left. My stamina when playing hockey has also greatly improved. No longer do I come to the bench gasping for air and feeling really worn out after games.

I contribute my new found muscles, weight lost, and stamina to both Sara and Michelle. Sara has us doing a good deal of cardio, capped off this past week by running from the SRC up "A" mountain and then back to the SRC. Tomorrow we get to run a 5K. That should be interesting, I'm guessing they find me passed out 2 miles in since I am going to try and do it in less than 25 minutes. No real reason for this besides the fact that I hate running, so the faster I can get it done the better it seems to me.

Michelle has been kicking our butts in other ways. Last Thursday we did the "Pumping Iron" class. Which is weight lifting constantly for almost an hour straight. My legs were burning for days after that one. Today we did some circut training, which was more than just circut training. It involved weight lifting, boxing, and running. I hope that one day Michelle puts gloves on and we can really box. I have some anger that needs expressing.

This program has been really productive and enjoyable. It has provided me with a way to get to know new people and other ones better. It has also provided me with the rigidity of meeting every day. Last week I missed a day due to a doctor appointment and have been mocked ever since. The only thing that I think I should be doing differently is eating better and more healthy food. I plan on talking with the trainers and organizers about this. Because if I can incorporate that into this program too, I might just get down enough weight to actually see some six pack shape!!!!

Sadat - On to Week 4

I again did nothing very active over the weekend, and thought I would definitely pay for it today. I actually had one of my best days yet of the program. We started off with a 15 minute run on the track. The few times we have run, i usually end up being between 4th and 6th back. Today, was much the same in the beginning. I was around 4th place, and the more in shape people were ahead of me, like Cross Country Guy. But today, after lap one, i pushed ahead as much as i could, went as fast as i could, took longer strides then i normally do, and ended up around 2nd for almost the entire run. Right behind Cross Country Guy, and by right behind, i mean he lapped me. Hes fast! I felt good about that run, but then a good ole rib cramp made me walk for most of the 4th lap.

We then did some circuit lifting. I really dont understand the meaning of "choose a light weight" no matter what ive picked everytime the trainers said that, it stinkin hurts.

Looking forward to some more boxing tomorrow. Not looking forward to a 5K on Wednesday.... is anyone actually ready for that?

Sonia - Week 3

Completed week 3 which included the "A" mountain climb. So I walked to "A", the rest of our group ran, walked and finally arrived to begin the climb! Well I managed to meet our group running down the mountain as I was climbing and climbing and some more climbing! I finally arrived at the base of the "A", and looked up and realized I still had to reach the point - NOT going to happend on this day!! I sat down, looked around, drank water and the proceed the descend. Pretty easy to begin with until there was no more railing to hang on to - so I decided if I slipped I would roll all the way to Tucson??? Completed the descend, walked back to the SRC! Thus my blog for week 3!

Amy - Week #3 Done

I had to take a few things easy today because I hurt my lower back on Tuesday during our workout. I know... first a pulled groin and now a hurt back, but I swear I'm not trying to get out of literally working my a** off. Speaking of which, our trainer said that our commitment in this program is going to start making visible results soon, probably around 4-6 weeks. It'll be interesting to see how all these workouts start making a difference, and what those differences are. I haven't lost any weight, but I'm pretty sure I've lost inches in various places.

Our trainer today handed back our food diaries from the first week with notes and suggestions for our specific diets. It was really helpful having such personalized outside perspective. For me he suggested to focus on eating all my carbohydrate-rich foods (whole and multi-grain) early on in the day so that I don't crave cookies/cake in the later afternoon and evening. He also wrote out some healthier substitutions for when I do crave those snacks, such as extra-dark chocolate, low-fat string cheese, nuts, cottage cheese and fruit, etc. Those snacks actually sound pretty good. So I may "reward" myself this weekend by stocking up on those healthy treats, versus food rewards that totally throw everything out the window for which I've worked during the week.

I've found that often when my diet is filled with trash it is because I haven't planned ahead, or really thought about what I would most enjoy. In those moments I'll grab the closest thing to kill a craving, instead of thinking first about what is tasty and satisfying as well as a food that my body can USE to help me function. I like how it feels to take ownership for what I put into my body. Sometimes when I talk to my friends it's as if we view food as something that controls us, instead of our bodys' fuel source that we need to take charge of. It's difficult... but very possible, and enjoyable when done the right way. And I'm slowly learning more about doing it the right way.

I have a back massage scheduled for tomorrow morning at the SRC so hopefully I'll be at the top of my A-game on Monday. The run on A Mountain didn't hurt my back much at all and the natural motion of running/walking helped to align it a little bit. Erego, If I work out this weekend I'm focusing on cardio, not heavy lifting :) Maybe I'll even check out that A Mountaintop view again...

Sadat - Week 3 Wrap Up

I felt like we started slow this week but damn did it pick up at the end. I didnt feel like i was sweating enough in the beginning of the week but the end of the week i was soaking wet.

The A Mountain run was great. I have not gone up A Mountain yet in the 2 years I have been here so i was excited to get up there. I was actually pretty nervous about being able to actually make it to the mountain let alone go up it. But the run went pretty quick to get there. I tried running up as many stairs as i could going up the hill but, that did not last long. There was also a very steep black top area that killed my already lunge beaten hamstrings. And then there were the 3-4 foot stairs that were interesting to scale. The view from the top was pretty sweet and was worth the burning feeling in my lower body. The run back took a little longer but i pushed the run as hard as i could. Overall, it only took about 25-30 mins.

Today was killer. Michelle, my nemesis, had us participate in her Pumping Iron class. At first I thought, its just an aerobics class, how bad can it be? But, she prefaced it this morning with an encouraging email of "Prepare to Die". Sweet. Found out the class is no joke. Basically, you lift every major muscle group to complete exhaustion with sets of 1 sec down 1 sec up, to 3 sec down 1 sec up, and reps between 2-8 and sometimes 15. Box Lunges, squats, dead lifts, back rows, bicep curls, bench press, close grip bench, skull crushers, cleans, military presses and abs. Wow. Felt ever muscle shake at the end of each set. I had to stop a few times, but then id look behind me and a 40 - 50 yr old lady behind me is just truckin along without a problem, and i was like what the Heck is going on here. So i had to keep going.

Cant wait to find out what today feels like tomorrow.....

Tara-Where I am slacking in blogging, I am making up for in my workouts

I apologize for not writing in a while. I sat down last Friday and blogged, but time got away from me. Now it is Thursday.

I am finally over the 2 week hump (and almost done with the 3rd). Our trainer said that if you can make it through the first two weeks, then you usually stay with the program. This is definitely true. I have loved every minute of it (the pain only last for a little while)!

Here are a couple of things I have definitely realized since this journey started.
1. I HATE RUNNING!
Put me on a piece of cardio equipment for an hour, make me do lunges until I bleed, make me lift weights until I cry out in pain....but please, dont make me run. I really do desire to become a runner, but it is just hard. We ran to A-Mountain yesterday and I ran about 3/4 of the way there, but my legs just ache when I run. I dont mind the hard breathing but the pounding on the knees and the weakness in my legs just breaks me down. Our trainer says it is just in our minds... my mind is willing, my legs are not.

2. I didnt realize how in-shape I was 10 years ago and how out-of-shape I am now.
I was a college athlete and worked out everyday of my college career (sometimes two). A lot of these things that we are doing, I did all the time and they were easy. Not the case anymore, now stretching is even hard for me. I get so angry at myself that I have gotten this way. I am not expecting to be in college shape, but at least be able to run a mile, 20 push-ups the man-way with no problem, and think "this is easy" when they say to do 10 burpies. We hiked A-Mountain yesterday and I was dying the whole way up. I have climbed a fourteener in Colorado, I can't even make it up A-mountain. I can't wait for the end of the 12 weeks, it is going to be so rewarding to see what I have accomplished. I think I want to stay in this program forever.

3. No weight loss, but definitely losing some inches (the belly is not so round anymore)
I weighed myself last week and had not lost any weight. But, I think if I took my measurements, you will definitely see some changes. I now have a mini-tire around my waste :). My legs are a little more defined as well. I need to change my eating habits and think I am going to start the online Nutrition plan they gave me at the start of this thing. I will let you know how it goes.

One last thing... if anyone out there is wondering if I worked out last Friday or not, I am happy to report that I DID!!!! It was a mini accomplishment. I felt good, and will do it tomorrow as well.

Signing off!
Tara