Well Trained Bodies - June 2017

[Laurie4b]

I didn't see a new thread up yet, so I hope it's okay to start it. 

 

I have a lot of travel challenges this month: 3 weekends where I will be in the car for around 8 hours each way. This weekend is travel, too, but to the beach, so that will be easy at least to get the cardio in. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Laurie4b]

Gosh, where is everybody? 

 

Got in a 45 min walk/jog .I've added a minute to the jog part this week. Also did a lower body workout. 

 

[itsheresomewhere]

So I started doing TWD classes with the kids.  I earned my white belt.  And it only took almost 6 months but the scale moved .5lbs down.  Woohoo.  I know not to use it to judge myself but it was nice to see it go down.  I have moved down clothes sizes so that is all that matters.  

 

Quick question-  anyone on here wear/use leg compression sleeves while exercising?  Before I spend the money on them, I thought I would ask here.  

 

 

Edited June 2, 2017 by itsheresomewhere

[wintermom]

Thanks for staring the new monthly thread!

 

My parents were in town for a week, so I didn't get much exercise in. A few dog walks, and very slow shopping strolls (they are in their 80s), and lots of sitting. ;)

 

I went for a walk with the dog and an extra intense bike ride into the blustery wind. That sure got my heart rate up! 

 

 

Scoutermom - How did your tennis tournament go? I've been looking for an update.

Edited June 2, 2017 by wintermom

[Laurie4b]

We are at the coast.  Yea!

 

Did an upper body workout on the balcony overlooking the ocean, in between running in and out to cook shrimp and scallops. (It was  part of the circuit ;)) 

 

Walked 30 min when we first got here and 90 min after dinner. Not a cardio pace, but at least we were moving!

[OlgaLA]

We are back home. The good thing is that I didn't gain any weight after all those yummy meals with wine and dessert. The bad thing is that jet lag is killing me. I'm going to figure out this month's fencing schedule on Monday when I take the kids to the camp. Until then I hope just to stay somewhat functioning past 4pm.

[Soror]

Got back yesterday from a mini-vacation camping.

 

Fitness wise we did a good amount of biking around the park and lots of walking too. One day we did the mountain biking trail. I am FAR from a biking expert but it kicked our butts. The first little bit was all steep switchbacks, we ended up pushing our bikes up half of it. Then it was uphill but not as steep, narrow as hell though and the drop off was brutal (I ended up into the side of the hill once to avoid falling off the side). 

 

M/W/F we bodyweight strength stuff. W/F we just did push-ups and pull-ups(on the monkey bars) we skipped legs since we killed them w/ biking on those hills.

 

Food was meh b/c I didn't pack a ton of stuff, mostly we just made do. We didn't leave until Tues after lunch so food was good until then. Wed. I ate all kinds of carbs and crap as I had to get some quick energy or I wouldn't have been able to make it through the rest of the biking trail. Thursday was a bit more chill and I kept the crap pretty minimum(although I didn't really have any veggies as we didn't pack any). Yesterday we made it home by lunch so food was back to normal, man I missed good food!

 

We don't have much planned this weekend, which is fine with me! I'd like to do some walking around here but the mosquitos are brutal right now, all this rain has not helped. 

 

Dh and I are going backpacking Monday for a few days but haven't picked a locale yet. I'll probably do some strength stuff Mon. before I leave and will try to get some Wed. when we get home but that depends on how tight the schedule is and how much it all wears me out!

 

Edited June 3, 2017 by soror

[wintermom]

Soror - The mountain biking sounds really exciting and fun - and hard! I've only ever gone on more flat trails, but I'd like to do more hills. Have a great time backpacking!

 

I can't wait for our summer vacation to start. I'm getting jealous of all the trips you ladies are going on! ;)

[wintermom]

I got in a nice little hike through the bush, and then a short bike ride this morning. My hike was in an area I used to bring the kids where they were very young. A developer now owns the land and has clear cut most of it. Just makes me want to cry. It was all old forest and gorgeous before.   :crying: 

[Laurie4b]

I got in a nice little hike through the bush, and then a short bike ride this morning. My hike was in an area I used to bring the kids where they were very young. A developer now owns the land and has clear cut most of it. Just makes me want to cry. It was all old forest and gorgeous before.   :crying: 

 

Development sucks that way. 

 

The last working farm in the county where my dad lives was partially sold off and a development built on what had been a gorgeous hill. The farmer needed to sell it to be able to pass the whole operation off to his kids. Sad.  We console ourselves by noticing that many of the residents in the new development get out walking around the gorgeous countryside---so at least they enjoy it not just their humongous house. 

[Laurie4b]

Still at the coast. Took an hour walk this morning at a moderate pace (not enough to affect my heartrate much as I am very acclimated to walking.) But it was gorgeous!

 

Came back to our room and did my lower body workout. This is the day I would normally deadlift at home, so I tried to concentrate on hamstrings. I have a new book called Women's Strength Training Anatomy Workouts. One of the authors studied anatomy both as an artist and in a medical setting (not a doctor) and illustrated each move showing the muscles in the body with those working hard being highlighted in a reddish color (in contrast to B&W). So I chose kneeling hip extensions, which target 2 of the hamstrings, and then a bridge with my feet up on a chair, which targets the other two. I also did clamshells. 

 

I really like being able to see which muscles are being worked. One thing it's helpful for besides choosing exercises for vacation is that I can mentally tune into the muscle being worked when I know exactly what it is. 

 

A word of warning, though: the book is great for illustrations and does a good job of pros and cons, tips, and possible warnings for each move. However, it also has a "Take Home Lesson for Women" that is gag-me-with-a-spoon quality, imo. E.g. for the section on hamstrings: "The hamstrings' placement just below the glutes helps enhance the feminine curvature of the buttocks. Having round buttocks and flat hamstrings wouldlook od. The hamstrings should be round as well, to accentuate the roundness of the glutes."  :glare:

They also promote the idea that you can spot reduce fat. The workouts (a section at the back of the book) all have very high reps--like 20. 

 

Anyway, I love the book for the illustrations and it covers  bodyweight, free weight, and machine exercises. I just didn't want anyone to buy it without knowing about the "Lessons for Women" parts. (Both authors are male.)

 

We will probably take another long walk tonight. I may do a bit of jogging when it cools down. Love the beach!

 

[Laurie4b]

Got back yesterday from a mini-vacation camping.

 

Fitness wise we did a good amount of biking around the park and lots of walking too. One day we did the mountain biking trail. I am FAR from a biking expert but it kicked our butts. The first little bit was all steep switchbacks, we ended up pushing our bikes up half of it. Then it was uphill but not as steep, narrow as hell though and the drop off was brutal (I ended up into the side of the hill once to avoid falling off the side). 

 

 

 

Oh.my. word. That would so not be for me!  Steep drop offs are :scared:  :svengo:

 

 Hats off to you! 

[wintermom]

 

They also promote the idea that you can spot reduce fat. 

 

 

Hope you're not falling for that fallacy. I guess the authors are trying to make money promoting the myth that you actually can spot reduce fat. Makes you wonder if more of their information is also incorrect and potentially damaging to the body. I'd cross-reference their suggested exercises with a more reliable source written by actual sport doctors and certified trainers.

[Soror]

I think we finally got our vacation plans solidified. We are going to stay 3 nights(Mon-Wed) and are not backpacking, we are going to tent camp. We are going to hike one day, bike another, and kayak a day. I'm excited and nervous, we're going to a spot we've not been before. 

 

I'm thinking about trying out a new calisthenics program just for kicks and giggles. I need something new for motivation I think and have enjoyed Al's videos in the past, he can do some crazy stuff! Anyway, I got a sample sent to my kindle. We'll see how I like it. I'm looking for simple to implement but moves that I want to do. I've got to get my butt in gear and start working on handstands again and get my upper body strenght back up.

We are back home. The good thing is that I didn't gain any weight after all those yummy meals with wine and dessert. The bad thing is that jet lag is killing me. I'm going to figure out this month's fencing schedule on Monday when I take the kids to the camp. Until then I hope just to stay somewhat functioning past 4pm.

 

Great job keeping the weight on target while indulging, hopefully, you recover over the weekend.

Soror - The mountain biking sounds really exciting and fun - and hard! I've only ever gone on more flat trails, but I'd like to do more hills. Have a great time backpacking!

 

I can't wait for our summer vacation to start. I'm getting jealous of all the trips you ladies are going on! ;)

When are you going on vacation?

 

We've not done much mountain biking either, we used to do a bit before kids but have just tried to get back into it in the last years as we can get time away. We desperately need some nicer bikes, ours are pretty crappy, but they do the job for now anyway.

 

Still at the coast. Took an hour walk this morning at a moderate pace (not enough to affect my heartrate much as I am very acclimated to walking.) But it was gorgeous!

 

Came back to our room and did my lower body workout. This is the day I would normally deadlift at home, so I tried to concentrate on hamstrings. I have a new book called Women's Strength Training Anatomy Workouts. One of the authors studied anatomy both as an artist and in a medical setting (not a doctor) and illustrated each move showing the muscles in the body with those working hard being highlighted in a reddish color (in contrast to B&W). So I chose kneeling hip extensions, which target 2 of the hamstrings, and then a bridge with my feet up on a chair, which targets the other two. I also did clamshells. 

 

I really like being able to see which muscles are being worked. One thing it's helpful for besides choosing exercises for vacation is that I can mentally tune into the muscle being worked when I know exactly what it is. 

 

A word of warning, though: the book is great for illustrations and does a good job of pros and cons, tips, and possible warnings for each move. However, it also has a "Take Home Lesson for Women" that is gag-me-with-a-spoon quality, imo. E.g. for the section on hamstrings: "The hamstrings' placement just below the glutes helps enhance the feminine curvature of the buttocks. Having round buttocks and flat hamstrings wouldlook od. The hamstrings should be round as well, to accentuate the roundness of the glutes."  :glare:

They also promote the idea that you can spot reduce fat. The workouts (a section at the back of the book) all have very high reps--like 20. 

 

Anyway, I love the book for the illustrations and it covers  bodyweight, free weight, and machine exercises. I just didn't want anyone to buy it without knowing about the "Lessons for Women" parts. (Both authors are male.)

 

We will probably take another long walk tonight. I may do a bit of jogging when it cools down. Love the beach!

 

Exercises divided by bodyparts sounds interesting to me and a great tool to become your own trainer. 

 

WTG keeping with being active on vacation.

Oh.my. word. That would so not be for me!  Steep drop offs are :scared:  :svengo:

 

 Hats off to you! 

I was scared for sure, that is why I had dh take dd3 in the ride along seat, I did not trust my skills! BUT I made it unscathed expect the mud covering my legs :) 

[Miss Peregrine]

I only made it to the gym Thursday and Friday this week. Oops! Worked mostly lower body and abs and now I am so sore.

[wintermom]

 

When are you going on vacation?

 

 

Our summer holidays won't start until the end of June (we start the school year in September), but we're not going anywhere this summer. We'll be hosting a couple exchange students while dd is away on a work exchange in Quebec.  I think some local camping might be the most we do. There's a lot of outdoor activities to do in our local region, though. I'll have more time to mountain bike, hike, play tennis and maybe even kayak.

[wintermom]

Dh and I squeezed in 1.5 hours of singles tennis this morning before the rain comes and before we need to go to more kids' activities. It felt really good to get out and run around. Now I just need to work on my unforced errors. ;)

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Thank you for beginning the thread. I was on vacation and did not have wifi access for almost two weeks.

 

Over the two weeks I did the following:

 

walked through Chimney Rock

walked around  Cody, WY

hiked through Yellowstone

played in a tennis tournament

hiked through Scott's Bluff

hiked through Agate National 

hiked through Nebraska National Forest

 

I did really well with my eating and remained sugar free and junk food free almost the entire time. I did cave toward the end and had a mini m & m blizzard.

 

The tennis tournament: my racquet had an internal fracture and broke during my first round match. I ended up losing that match and had to learn how to play with a substitute racquet. I won all of my remaining matches and ended up taking second place. I have a nice new trophy and a sweet, limited edition umbrella for my efforts. I ended up stopping off at a local tennis pro shop and buying a new racquet as I have a USTA District tournament in 4 days and needed something immediately.

 

I feel good and happy. I need to take this momentum and continue moving forward.

[Laurie4b]

Hope you're not falling for that fallacy. I guess the authors are trying to make money promoting the myth that you actually can spot reduce fat. Makes you wonder if more of their information is also incorrect and potentially damaging to the body. I'd cross-reference their suggested exercises with a more reliable source written by actual sport doctors and certified trainers.

 

I agree. That was supposed to be part of the warnings about the book. The prescriptions for exercise are not trustworthy, imo. However,  the hand done illustrations are just outstanding (illustrator studied anatomy at an art school in France for 3 years, then dissection at a medical school for 3 years) and the pros, cons, and tips seem in line with other sources. 

[Laurie4b]

Thank you for beginning the thread. I was on vacation and did not have wifi access for almost two weeks.

 

Over the two weeks I did the following:

 

walked through Chimney Rock

walked around  Cody, WY

hiked through Yellowstone

played in a tennis tournament

hiked through Scott's Bluff

hiked through Agate National 

hiked through Nebraska National Forest

 

I did really well with my eating and remained sugar free and junk food free almost the entire time. I did cave toward the end and had a mini m & m blizzard.

 

The tennis tournament: my racquet had an internal fracture and broke during my first round match. I ended up losing that match and had to learn how to play with a substitute racquet. I won all of my remaining matches and ended up taking second place. I have a nice new trophy and a sweet, limited edition umbrella for my efforts. I ended up stopping off at a local tennis pro shop and buying a new racquet as I have a USTA District tournament in 4 days and needed something immediately.

 

I feel good and happy. I need to take this momentum and continue moving forward.

 

That all sounds wonderful! And congratulations on your win despite your equipment handicap!

[Miss Peregrine]

I am so bummed. About 2 years ago I had frozen shoulder, had to go through PT. Wasn't able to exercise much for 6+ months. That feeling is coming back again. :/ My shoulder really hurts and I am afraid it is going to become immobile. Skipped yoga today because my teacher does so many planks, lol. Trying to baby it. Not sure how to go about lifting.

[Laurie4b]

I am so bummed. About 2 years ago I had frozen shoulder, had to go through PT. Wasn't able to exercise much for 6+ months. That feeling is coming back again. :/ My shoulder really hurts and I am afraid it is going to become immobile. Skipped yoga today because my teacher does so many planks, lol. Trying to baby it. Not sure how to go about lifting.

 

I've had two frozen shoulders, so I get where you are coming from. I would get to a shoulder doc as soon as possible. Meanwhile I agree that you shouldn't stress your shoulder, but do you still have the exercises you were given when it froze?

 

 I would do the range of motion exercises and then lower body stuff that doesn't require shoulder use such as:  bodyweight squats or variations that work one leg , lunges, single leg deadlifts, bridges (elevated if you are more advanced) , clamshells, etc. That way, you are keeping with some kind of strength-training despite the shoulder. 

 

Also, if I understand & remember correctly, when we do strength-training and break down muscle, the signals the muscles send out to get a clean up crew going (autophagy) affect more than just that particular muscle. I am pretty certain that I've read it starts autophagy in the brain, but I wonder if it would also do it in your shoulder? 

[Miss Peregrine]

I've had two frozen shoulders, so I get where you are coming from. I would get to a shoulder doc as soon as possible. Meanwhile I agree that you shouldn't stress your shoulder, but do you still have the exercises you were given when it froze?

 

I would do the range of motion exercises and then lower body stuff that doesn't require shoulder use such as: bodyweight squats or variations that work one leg , lunges, single leg deadlifts, bridges (elevated if you are more advanced) , clamshells, etc. That way, you are keeping with some kind of strength-training despite the shoulder.

 

Also, if I understand & remember correctly, when we do strength-training and break down muscle, the signals the muscles send out to get a clean up crew going (autophagy) affect more than just that particular muscle. I am pretty certain that I've read it starts autophagy in the brain, but I wonder if it would also do it in your shoulder?

I do have the exercises printed our somewhere. I could call and the office could probably email them to me, too. Good idea.

 

I will look up the autophagy. I don't know anything about that.

[solascriptura]

I am so bummed. About 2 years ago I had frozen shoulder, had to go through PT. Wasn't able to exercise much for 6+ months. That feeling is coming back again. :/ My shoulder really hurts and I am afraid it is going to become immobile. Skipped yoga today because my teacher does so many planks, lol. Trying to baby it. Not sure how to go about lifting.

Oh my! I had a severe case of shoulder tendonitis that would not go away for months. I'm sure if it persisted it would have become frozen shoulder. I called my best friend ( who is a PT) a lot. It's better now, but I start to panic if it starts to feel weird.

[Soror]

We are NOT on vacation I woke up Sunday sick, I guess a nasty summer cold but I spent the better part of the last 2 days lying in bed. Now dh is not feeling great either. We have kid free time and are sick. I do feel a smidge better than yesterday so I'm hoping we can at least do some day trips while they are gone, even if we aren't up to anything big.

I am so bummed. About 2 years ago I had frozen shoulder, had to go through PT. Wasn't able to exercise much for 6+ months. That feeling is coming back again. :/ My shoulder really hurts and I am afraid it is going to become immobile. Skipped yoga today because my teacher does so many planks, lol. Trying to baby it. Not sure how to go about lifting.

I hurt my shoulder 2 yrs ago too, not that bad but it seems it has never been the same, I really have to go slow and not push it at all. Getting older stinks. My strategy is complete rest when it is bad, incorporating in prehab exercises, and going really slow (painfully slow strength gains have been hard to come by but not injuring myself again is a higher priority).

 

Thank you for beginning the thread. I was on vacation and did not have wifi access for almost two weeks.

 

Over the two weeks I did the following:

 

walked through Chimney Rock

walked around  Cody, WY

hiked through Yellowstone

played in a tennis tournament

hiked through Scott's Bluff

hiked through Agate National 

hiked through Nebraska National Forest

 

I did really well with my eating and remained sugar free and junk food free almost the entire time. I did cave toward the end and had a mini m & m blizzard.

 

The tennis tournament: my racquet had an internal fracture and broke during my first round match. I ended up losing that match and had to learn how to play with a substitute racquet. I won all of my remaining matches and ended up taking second place. I have a nice new trophy and a sweet, limited edition umbrella for my efforts. I ended up stopping off at a local tennis pro shop and buying a new racquet as I have a USTA District tournament in 4 days and needed something immediately.

 

I feel good and happy. I need to take this momentum and continue moving forward.

Sounds like an awesome vacation and congrats on your second place win!

[Laurie4b]

Dh and I went to the gym tonight together. (I usually exercise solo but he is getting back into the routine.)  Did an upper body routine and am now 75% of where I was in push-ups before I went off the wagon for 6 weeks. (I think this is 4 weeks of catch-up at this point.) 

 

I tried some cardio machines, but part of the reason I wanted to go to the gym was because I kind of strained my foot with too much barefoot walking on the beach and I didn't want to walk/run outside for cardio. I tried a recumbent bike and the elliptical. They both tweaked my foot, too. Maybe tomorrow, I'll head to the pool. 

 

I also signed up for Tai Chi twice a week. Will start Wed. 

Edited June 5, 2017 by Laurie4b

[wintermom]

It's been rainy and cool outside for the last few days, combined with really busy schedule of dc activities, has made it more challenging to stay active. I got in some good, long walking yesterday along with a short bike ride. Not sure what I'll be able to squeeze in today aside from a bunch of driving. 

[Miss Peregrine]

Went today and just did the treadmill for 20 minutes. I do the highest incline so I'm getting some good cardio.

[solascriptura]

Kettlebell interval here! Awesome workout

[solascriptura]

I'm having more difficulty with eating and meals. I've been so busy lately that meal prep has become more like meal scramble.

[wintermom]

The rain finally stopped, and I got a nice, long walk with the dog this evening. Tomorrow I play mixed doubles tennis in my competitive league. I'm excited!

 

 

[Soror]

Finally perked up some Tuesday, we got a little walking around done before I wore out. We headed out today to do some hiking, thought we would do around 3-4 miles(as I wasn't sure how much I could handle) BUT I did good and we ended up doing 10 miles, woot! It was a beautiful hike, rated the best backpacking trail in the state. It was supposed to take 10 hrs(there are parts that are really rough) but we got it done in 5h45 min w/ an hour of that being lunch and breaks. I'm tired but ok, the only really sore part I have is the back of my left leg, right behind my knee. If we feel up to it I'm hoping we can do some bike riding tomorrow. I'm going to try to do strength training Thurs/Sat, I sure wasn't up for it Mon/Tues and after hiking today I'm ready for a break.

[solascriptura]

Finally perked up some Tuesday, we got a little walking around done before I wore out. We headed out today to do some hiking, thought we would do around 3-4 miles(as I wasn't sure how much I could handle) BUT I did good and we ended up doing 10 miles, woot! It was a beautiful hike, rated the best backpacking trail in the state. It was supposed to take 10 hrs(there are parts that are really rough) but we got it done in 5h45 min w/ an hour of that being lunch and breaks. I'm tired but ok, the only really sore part I have is the back of my left leg, right behind my knee. If we feel up to it I'm hoping we can do some bike riding tomorrow. I'm going to try to do strength training Thurs/Sat, I sure wasn't up for it Mon/Tues and after hiking today I'm ready for a break.

The hike sounds amazing!

[wintermom]

My mixed doubles tennis competitive league  tonight was really fun. We played some really nice people, had some great, long rallies, and somehow my partner and I won. I'm giving him the victory, because I didn't play great. I guess I made few enough errors to keep us in the game long enough so he could hit winning shots.  :o  I swear I hit the ball with my racket frame more often than my strings for some of the rallies.  I'm blaming those on the sun in my eyes, though.  :laugh:

Edited June 8, 2017 by wintermom

[Laurie4b]

Taking long, barefoot walks on the beach during our long weekend vaca strained some things in one of my feet, so I took it easy yesterday and just did a walk to the mailbox and back (about 20 min with a couple steep hills)

 

Today, foot still wasn't quite normal, but close. I did some mowing and then did a strength training workout. I skipped the pulls, but did the rest of the upper body, core, and the lower body. 

 

I'm traveling this weekend again. Sat will be really hard to get anything in, but I will try for Friday. Tomorrow, if foot is okay, will try a walk//run. 

[wintermom]

Dh and I got in a really fun mixed doubles tennis game with friends before work/school this morning. I hadn't recovered fully from tennis last night, so I wasn't moving very well. I felt like a concrete statue, actually. ;) 

[Soror]

barefoot walks on the beach sound heavenly!

 

wintermom, go you, your keeping the court warm with all your playing!

 

sola- thanks, the hike was pretty awesome!

 

 

We ended up doing 2 hrs of kayaking yesterday(Thurs), I figured it better to do that than biking as it is all upper body. We did plenty of paddling and felt some stiffness in my upper body but don't seem sore today.

 

This am I went to my Nat. Move class, it was VERY lower body heavy today, our only uper body stuff was push-ups. I need to add in some pull work and more push-ups tonight.

 

I was thinking about a family bike ride this evening, the kids just got home though, we'll see.  My period is imminent too, so once that hits all bets are off, I'm hoping the worst is over by Mon. and I can get back to a more active schedule.

[Soror]

Dh has been obsessively looking up hikes in the area, of course, we probably won't get another kid free opportunity until our anniversary next month, which is generally hotter than blue blazes but maybe we'll get lucky. Since we didn't get to go back packing this time we'd love to get in a trip- there is this one area w/ about 30 miles that would make for a nice weekend trip.

[Soror]

So, I had restarted my iron and b12 as it seemed my energy level still wasn't what it should be. I've noticed a huge difference. We did a 5 mile bike ride last night and it was a breeze, last time we went several weeks ago I was struggling with energy and doing the hills just killed me. I never did the rest of my upper body work, the plan is to do it this today, if not I'll just restart on Monday.

[wintermom]

Doubles tennis last night was really fun. The weather was windy to begin with, but after an hour it started calming down. We played for 3 hours altogether. Then I came home, showered and fell right into bed. 

 

 

Soror - I'm jealous about your kayaks. I love kayaking! I've been wanting to get my own for a while, but something else always pops up to gulp up the money. ;)

[Soror]

Doubles tennis last night was really fun. The weather was windy to begin with, but after an hour it started calming down. We played for 3 hours altogether. Then I came home, showered and fell right into bed. 

 

 

Soror - I'm jealous about your kayaks. I love kayaking! I've been wanting to get my own for a while, but something else always pops up to gulp up the money. ;)

We just have cheap kayaks (same as our bikes) but they work well enough for what we do. 

 

I bet you did sleep well, we did our biking before bed and everybody konked out, I'm the only one up yet this morning!

[lynn]

I have been doing beach body T25 or insanity. this week I plan to do the Shaun T week (7new workouts from the beach body trainer)

[wintermom]

Dh and I played mixed doubles tennis this afternoon. It was a lot of fun, but pretty hot and humid for us up north more used to cold than heat right now. ;) There was a really nice wind to cool us off, but it made it much harder to track and hit the ball. Still, it's great to be playing outdoors! 

[Laurie4b]

This week was heavy with travel and family/friend needs. I didn't get much cardio in, primarily because I strained my foot walking too long barefoot on the beach. However I did manage 1 upper body and 2 whole body strength-training workouts, even though one of the whole body ones was done at a friends without weights. I couldn't figure out a pulling exercise I could do and I substituted jump squats for weighted squats. 

 

Both this weekend and next, I'll be on the road at least Fri-Sun, so I *can't miss* cardio or strength-training M-Th. And summer weather has arrived in full. 

 

Summer is a challenge for me because I like to exercise 1) outside and 2) in the late afternoon, you know--when the heat peaks. It never goes down all that much until after dark. That works best with my internal clock and has since my athletic days in high school and college. So I have a choice of learning to exercise mid-morning (no way is my body going to cooperate with early morning) or I'm going to have to find something that isn't mind-numbingly boring to do at the gym. I really must insist to myself that one change or the other be made! 

Edited June 12, 2017 by Laurie4b

[lynn]

So for the week of June 11 I am doing beach body on demand Shaun T week.   Monday done.   I am challenging myself to be able to post done for every day this week.

 

This and along with watching what I eat keep drinking water, no soda.   I love summer fruit but the sugar content not so much that is a little difficult  I know "don't buy what you shouldn't eat"  but when I pass the fruit stand......

 

Monday Done

Tuesday Done 

Edited June 13, 2017 by lynn

[wintermom]

So for the week of June 11 I am doing beach body on demand Shaun T week.   Monday done.   I am challenging myself to be able to post done for every day this week.

 

This and along with watching what I eat keep drinking water, no soda.   I love summer fruit but the sugar content not so much that is a little difficult  I know "don't buy what you shouldn't eat"  but when I pass the fruit stand...... 

 

Fruit has fibre and vitamins, so while the natural sugar content is pretty high, it's also loaded with good things. It's completely different than eating a bag of Oreo cookies, or similar.  

[Laurie4b]

 

This and along with watching what I eat keep drinking water, no soda.   I love summer fruit but the sugar content not so much that is a little difficult  I know "don't buy what you shouldn't eat"  but when I pass the fruit stand...... 

 

Are you on a specialized diet that you can't have fruit? 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Good morning~

 

I had a wonderful day of tennis this weekend at the USTA Team Tennis district meet.. I played in two 4.0 singles matches. I lost the first match 5-7, 3-6. My opponent was a wonderful player and has been undefeated all season. My teammates researched her USTA stats and she usually only gives up a game or two per set. I am quite pleased with my loss and taking 8 games from her.

 

I won my second match 3-6, 6-3, 10-6 (3rd set tiebreaker). My match took over two hours to complete. This opponent was a whippersnapper and had some great shots. I developed a muscle cramp in the second game of the first set and couldn't get to many of her fast moving balls. I admit to seriously considering defaulting the match in game 4 and there were a couple of games where I would serve and she would return a hard fast ball and all I could do was watch it go by. My teammates (and members of the 3.5 team) came to watch me and I didn't want to lose face; I figured losing quickly was better than quitting. One teammate took over as 'coach and support team' and massaged my calf, gave me bottles of Gatorade,called for a medical timeout, taped my calf, gave me iced towels, hugged me and just kept up a steady stream of positive comments and support. Through her efforts, I stayed in the game and began winning. The USTA official who supervised my medical timeout chose to remain on our court and watch the match. He had his stopwatch out and was timing change overs, times between serves,etc. It was a bit anxiety provoking.

Instead of hitting winners, my goal became to keep the ball in play and take it one point at a time. I began winning: point by point, game by game. It was slow and painful but I had finally gained the upperhand and the momentum was with me. When the last point of the second set was complete (she hit long) I was elated. We were allowed a 3 min break and my teammates jumped in to massage my still cramping leg, stuff me with bananas and Gatorade, and keep me moving in the shade.

The official ran the tiebreak. It was unlike any tiebreak I have ever played and I was happy to have him there. Once the tiebreak began it was go, go, go. There were no opportunities to rest or drink. I took the early lead and just kept focusing on each point, trying to keep the ball in play and letting my opponent make the mistakes. I was up 9-6 and was serving for the win. I hadn't been able to pull off my spin serve during the match due to the cramp but I figured I needed it then so I gave it 100% of everything I had and my opponent hit it out of the court. I had won!!

I did not know that my team was tied 2-2 and needed me to win in order to win the match. My win pushed us to 3-2.

After the match, I was hanging out with the officials and being treated for the cramp.  They were kind and supportive. I have to give credit to a wonderful group of people for hanging out with me, massaging my leg (Jan worked wonders with a tennis ball), keeping me walking when all I wanted to do was sit and cry, for driving me back to the Cities to meet my husband, and for being wonderful friends. My husband and son made a late-night two hour round trip to pick me up because I couldn't use my leg to push on the gas or brake. I can say, with all honesty, that I never ever want to go through that again but if I have to, I want them by my side.

 

To top it all off, I was able to go watch a friend play in her final 3.5 doubles match of the day. She also had a long match which went into a third set tiebreak. She and her partner stayed the course, though, and were able to overcome the heat and wind and take the win. Her team was also tied 2-2 and their win earned the 3.5 team the big W.

All in all both our 3.5 & 4.0 teams ended up taking second place in our respective divisions. We do not get to move on to Nationals but it's all good.

Edited June 12, 2017 by Scoutermom

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Today: easy tennis (about 3.0) to test my calf and make sure it wasn't gong to cramp again. It did just fine so I think I'm good to go.

 

I've been asked to give lessons to a couple of local high school students and an adult during the summer and fall. I think I'll take up the offer and make some money.

 

Tomorrow I'm headed to do some kayaking. I've been playing so much tennis my poor kayak has been neglected.

 

Then I'm going to focus on my fitness challenges. I'm spending some time today working on a plan. I do so much better with a plan.

 

 

[wintermom]

Scoutermom - Thanks for the details of your matches. Fun to read. I was having some calf cramps, too. My tennis/doctor friend recommended insoles for my tennis shoes (try over-the-counter ones first), and they have been really helping me. I haven't had a cramp since. All the best in the rest of your tennis season!