DH was busy at work yesterday, so I stayed home in the evening. I was surprised by my very strong desire to throw a temper tantrum when I realized I couldn't go fence. Sometimes adulting is hard. I did compensate by decluttering our bedroom. I think I do my best cleaning when I am in a bad mood. Still, it really caught me by surprise, I thought I was more reasonable than that. I am back to my pre-Thanksgiving weight. I also think that I have a bit less padding on my sides, although the total weight is about the same. I can dream, right? :)

I don't like it either, mostly because it interferes with the next day's workout, so I brought the intensity down to the spot where I can feel the muscles the next day, but still can use them without problems. It took some trying, but now I usually nail that spot. I did all I planned yesterday, and added 15 minutes on the bike. I am trying to get to the point where I have some workout in the morning and fencing in the evening. So far I manage about 20-30 minutes almost daily, adding a little here and there. I am worried about keeping it through December though, with all the travel and holidays. Today I had a terrible night. I woke up at 4:30 and couldn't fall back asleep till 6. I think it was what is called restless legs syndrome, only it was over my entire body. Of course, today was the day when I have to take DD to college in the morning, so I couldn't sleep in. I think I'll go do some exercise now, as I am not sure if I can go fencing today: DS is sick and I don't want to leave him alone. Hopefully, DH can come home early.

:grouphug: It's great that you are taking care of yourself! Depression sucks :( I live on melatonin and naps. When my cycles started to get short, and began to bring a terrible headache/migraine for two days every 24 days, I started on melatonin, as there was some small research about it almost reversing peri. I didn't quite buy it, but thought if it helps even a little, I am in. I am now back to 27-28 day cycles, which is shorter than I used to have, but better than 24 days or less, unless I forget to take it regularly (I mean more than a week in a row), and the headache is either not there at all, or barely noticeable. Naps are another story, but lately I often need less than an hour vs 1.5+ hrs. I am not sure if it is because of vit D I am taking (mine was at 18 last time I checked), more exercise, or just getting older and needing less sleep :) I did a grand total of 12 minutes on a bike on Saturday, plus about the same time doing core exercises on Sunday. That and a party Saturday night meant that I am still above pre-Thanksgiving weight. Today I have a private lesson in the morning and open fencing in the evening. Probably a long nap, too, as I was up after only 6.5 hours of sleep and it's cloudy outside.

I took the kids to the fencing camp today, and when I was picking them up, took a private lesson. Then I went to the open floor, but there was only one guy there, plus two coaches. So I did about 30 minutes of the ball practice. By that time a couple more guys showed up, so we fenced. I got to fence my coach, so it was fun, even though it was all pretty brutal. Still, I got some touches on all three guys I fenced. Today I actually felt like I am slowly getting better.

My hip pain went away the nest day, but instead I woke up with a very tight back. I am used to back pain since my last pregnancy, but this was different. I guess my posture was off, so the back pulled the hip or something like that. After some stretches it got better. I went to open floor on Wednesday, and since the class before (which my kids attend but I don't) had odd number of people, I got to jump in and do about 30 minutes extra. It was fun, too. Yesterday I didn't need to cook, so I managed to do some arm/shoulders workout plus some core/hips exercises and 10 minutes on a stationary bike, which I hated. I know I need more cardio, but I just can't manage more than 10 minutes of it yet, and I think it's mostly mental thing. Anyway, baby steps :) We went to friends' house for Thanksgiving. I ate everything. I think I didn't have any seconds, but still it was a lot. Between sheer quantity and the fact that it continued until almost midnight, the scale today was showing a number I haven't seen in a while. BTW, I also weigh myself daily, but since I don't obsess over it, I think it's OK. So, I am not too worried about the number yet. I expect it will go down in a day or two, unless I overeat several days in a row.

Today I had to drive DD to the zoo for her CC fieldtrip (who knew community colleges go to the zoo for a fieldtrip?), so I stayed there with DS. 3.5 hours later I decided it was enough of a workout for me. Unfortunately, when we came home, my hip said it had too much of a workout. I really never had anything like this before, I barely managed to walk home from the car. Now I can walk, but I feel it every time I put my weight on that foot. Like I don't have enough problem with my wrist.

This weekend was a bit crazy, and this week till Thursday is even crazier with several doctors appointments and other driving errands. I did manage to get to the club today, but as today was off the routine I forgot to eat before going. Well, I grabbed a handful of almonds and raisins, but it was too early and not enough. About 30-40 minutes in I just crashed. I need to revamp my diet, both content and timing to avoid situations like this.

I did some legs workout yesterday and went to the club today for almost 2 hours, but a lot of that time was spent not fencing. I do think I have improved in the last couple of months, unless most people got worse. Unfortunately, now I am typing this with an ice pack on my wrist :(

Went to the club to fence both yesterday and today. Tuesday class has gained some new members so it was actually full hour of fencing. Today was good, too. I am roughly on track with everything I planned, but I did hurt my wrist/arm again last Friday, and today it feels like I am back to square one with that. Did about half an hour of massage tonight, which seemed to help last time. I'll have to scale down my upper body workouts though, as lifting anything hurts. Or I can do left side, as it is weaker anyway.

I was feeling pretty blah yesterday, and it showed in practice. I lost every single bout, and I lost then worse than I usually do. Today I took a private lesson, played with the tennis ball (it's actually quite fun - trying to hit a ball on a string with the tip of an epee while keeping distance; not sure how much it improves my fencing, but it is a great legs workout, cardio, and I get to feel like a kitten) while DS took his lesson, and finished with an arm workout at home. I hope to go to the evening class, but it will probably be short.

Today is definitely a rest day for me. I did well on Thursday with a private lesson, tennis ball target practice, and arms and core workout. On Friday I only had open fencing, but it was really great. I don't know if it was a weird coincidence or there was some connection with the exercises I have been doing, but during fencing one of my smaller inner hip muscles decided to cramp. It never ever did that before. I tried to stretch it. but it was in a weird place, so I couldn't figure out how to reach it. It wasn't too bad, but I felt it until I came home and plopped on one of those lavender-filled heated toys. I also fenced a left-handed lady, and for some reason it just kills my wrist, and discomfort in the wrist kills my elbow. So, I also feel some pain in my arm. It's better today, so hopefully with some rest I'll be fine by Monday. I went to bed after 12 yesterday. I could sleep in today, but I am afraid I am slipping back into my old schedule.

Congratulations! It's always exciting to see the progress. Good luck with getting it an easy pace! I'm not sure I would find playing outside at this temperature exciting, but I am glad you enjoyed it! Is it back inside now, or do you switch completely to something else? I had an OK day yesterday. I was feeling a bit depressed, but that might have been due to the kids' attitude. I went to the club and fenced, but my head was really foggy, so I couldn't quite concentrate on what I was doing. It seemed that everybody else was, too, so the results were in line with normal, but somehow less satisfying. I went to bed at midnight, and woke up at 7:15. I am afraid it will be difficult to keep my bedtime before 12, as we came home about 9:30, and that was before dinner. So shower, dinner, clean up all took time, and that was with DH having dinner table all set by the time we came. I often still need to cook. Unfortunately, feeding the kids before fencing doesn't work - they eat before, and still are hungry after.

I am a bit sore today after yesterday workout, so I guess I am getting it right. I didn't do anything at home, except for two sets of jump squats, and I went to fence in the evening. I actually had to drag myself there, but I felt much better afterwards. I still feel like I am not fully recovered after the last weekend. I also went to bed around 11:30, woke up before my 7:30 alarm went off and still took a long nap.

Laurie4b ~ Thanks for the links! I actually tried the sidesteps and clamshells tonight. They do work the hips well. I also did 2 sets of arm exercises in the evening, in addition to the private lesson and footwork in the morning.

I am still trying to come up with a routine. The time mentioned I actually did it for the first time. I simply put together some crunches, straight and on my sides, some leg raises in various positions, glutes bridges, etc. I think the bridges were the most effective, judging by the way it felt. I still need to search for more hips exercises, as mine tend to start hurting after several fencing lunges in a row. Sorry, I can't be of more help. So, we came back from the competition, which was brutal, but fun. I beat my personal record, I think - lost a bout 5-0 in 23 seconds, when usually they last closer to 3 minutes, and I can score at least 1 touch. Oh well. My DD, it seems, decided that no competition can go without an incident. Last time it was coffee spilled all over her uniform, this time she forgot her fencing shoes. Luckily, there was a store not too far away which carried the exact shoes she wears, but obviously they were more expensive than online. On the bright side, I saw and decided to try energy gels for the competition. Usually, when I am stressed, my stomach acts up, I feel very nauseous and can barely eat, and then my blood sugar drops, so overall, it is not a good combo for a competition. But the gel went really well, it actually settled the nausea and gave me some energy. I went to bed at 11:40 last night. I really was ready to go earlier, but I waited for the washer to finish washing our uniforms, so we could use them today. I am still very tired today, but I need to go to a private lesson, as the couch will be traveling again, and I need to get some lessons before he leaves. I may skip open fencing tonight though. I am feeling jealous of you, ladies, who had a jump start in youth. I was even excused from PE in school for a rather stupid reason. I started regular exercise at 37, when the kids went to a martial arts studio and I decided to join. Then again, I have nowhere to go but up :)

Laurie, I have almost exactly the same problem with sleep, down to the times. Only, to feel well I need a bit more than 8 hours a night. I only have to get up at 7:30 twice a week, but even if I sleep in, I wake up around 8:30, and earlier of any sound from outside wakes me up. With going to bed at 1 most nights, I get anywhere from 6.5 to 7.5 hours a night. I kind of hope that time switch will help me to go to bed earlier and then I can try fighting for it to stay there. As for food, I am okay with seconds, kind of inclined to say yes to extra sweets, and I have absolutely no willpower when I have some good cheese and crackers in front of me. This summer, every time we had a gathering (usually just one family stopping by) and there was cheese and some meats, I would gain a pound or two, which I tried to burn for the rest of the week, and then there was another one. I'll have to watch for that during the holidays when we will probably have visits more than once a week. December is also a month when we do practically no sports, so I'll need to make sure I do something at home regularly, as all that party sitting kills my lower back. But that gets bad in December. We shouldn't have too much partying in November. Also, it's great that you dragged yourself through that workout! Wintermom ~ Listening to your body is good :) With tiredness/tightness/soreness I notice that technique goes away fast, and with that - safety. Good luck with the vegetables today! Soror ~ Sorry you are going through this. I hope the doctor can get to the cause of all this soon, and it is something easily fixable. Keeping track of everything is a great idea. I haven't had a good night sleep today, so I feel a bit tired (and procrastinating here on WTM instead to doing all the housework I need to do before we leave). I don't think I'll do anything today, except for a set or two of jump squats, which I managed to raise from 10 to 12 per set in the last two weeks and which I have written down as a daily thing.

Nobody is here? I had a private lesson this morning, followed by about 30 minutes of footwork/target practice. I guess it could qualify as HIIT. I am totally wiped out now. I managed to take a shower and throw dirty clothes into the washer, but it was a great effort. I still need to check our equipment, as we are driving to another tournament tomorrow. It is expected to have some really high level fencers, so it should be fun and great practice. I feel a bit like an imposter on these competitions, but we don't have any small competitions for women around, so I have to learn to swim with the sharks.

Not sure about October... I don't think I really had any goals, just doing my best. But since I read too much in October, for November I have written my goals down, split into 4 areas, with actions for each of them. Now I only have to follow this plan :) If I can do it, I should be ready for the national level competition in December, which will be my first big veteran competition. I don't really have weight goals, but I wouldn't mind losing some fat. My fencing pants have velcro closure instead of a button above the zipper, and right now they just close, but if I gain even two pounds, velcro gets undone every time I move. Since this summer I fluctuate between these two states. New pants are ridiculously expensive, so I have a good incentive to not gain "bad" weight. Today I did at home core and hips workout and then fenced for about an hour. I fenced boys again, and I am pretty sure tomorrow I'll have at least one bruise to show for it. On the bright side, I managed to keep my last couple of home workouts at the intensity where my muscles feel that they were worked the day before, but just barely.

We posted at about the same time, so missed it until today. This is really cool. I also have a family history with Alzheimer, so another bit of prevention sounds great. I do prefer soreness in my quads though, abs are cool, too, but arms and shoulders are not fun. I am actually listening to my body, and although I sometimes feel like I overbaby myself, I think it's worth it. I don't recover as fast as 16 year old anymore, so I prefer less trauma, even if it means less training. Since I can't go to the club today, I decided to do some footwork at home. Planned for 30 minutes, was absolutely exhausted at 25, so finished it off with some floor exercises. I need to include this in my daily routine.

I felt fine today, but the class was small, either because the coach is traveling or because everybody is getting ready for Halloween, Anyway, I had to pretty much skip the breaks between the bouts to catch all those teens before they escaped. I managed my 6 bouts in 45 minutes instead of the usual 60. I also had to fence a couple of teen boys, as the girls were in short supply. Luckily, both were skilled enough not to bulldoze over me, so it was fun, as boys tend to move much more. Good for cardio endurance, too. Anyway, since the class was short and my kids for some reason want to go trick-or-treating tomorrow instead of fencing, I decided to add some upper body training tonight. I didn't push it quite to the level I did last time, so should be fine tomorrow. I also found and started reading a book on strength training. My inner geek is in heaven :)

Sorry, English is my second language, and when I am tired half of my vocab goes out of window. I had a feeling that pain wasn't quite the right word, but couldn't remember the other one. That was muscle soreness. And it wasn't even too bad, compared to my thighs when I do the full set of 55 jump squats that the coach requires the younger students do. That hurts on the second day. This time it was my shoulders saying they were lazy. I don't even know how to describe it other that they didn't want to move, although they could with some discomfort. Anyway, my problem was mostly that because I want to fence almost daily, I often think that I shouldn't do anything that may leave me sore the next day, but at the same time I want my upper body to become stronger. When I google how much I should do an exercise, it is usually answered from the point of view of growing muscle. I don't care if my muscles grow or not, as long as they do what I want them to do. If I do the exercises not to the point of soreness, how much effect will it have on my strength? Honestly, I kind of feel stupid asking this, but I never thought about this before, and google skills are failing me. Today, as I predicted was a coach potato day. Can't do much more than type. Feeling super grateful for leftovers.

Thanks, Laurie! Yes, it is most definitely muscle pain. Unfortunately, as of last year I can tell the difference in pain caused by pinched nerves, joints, and tendons. It was a new workout for me, so it's not surprising that muscles hurt, but the truth is I don't remember doing exercises that caused pain afterwards for any length of time. I am just not sure how long it will take to get to the point where doing the same exercise same number of times will not result in muscle pain. You give me hope :) I survived our Halloween party. First part of the day included a lot of sprinting up and down the stairs, and the second quite a bit of kid chasing. If life is fair, I will be down another couple pounds tomorrow, but it may decide that wine, cheese, and a cake was rewarding enough.

We are having a Halloween party today, so I spent the last two days getting ready. So, no fencing at all. Apparently, housework consumes more calories, as I am down a couple of pounds, even with stealing some of those Halloween candies. In my down time between tasks I did a few strength/conditioning exercises, some including free weights I had lying around. So yesterday my arms were a bit shaky, today my shoulders don't want to move at all. After normal fencing I don't usually have muscle pain, so I have a question for those who do weightlifting - do you constantly have that muscle pain? or how often on average? I am just trying to figure out the balance between those exercises being effective and not hindering my ability to fence.

Just above O C is our all time low :) And yesterday it was 40C, so yeah, different. Still, I don't remember it being this hot in October. Hugs. Since it started rather abruptly, I would still look for the cause. I used to need a full day of rest after an average workout, and it did get better after a while, but I was in a bad shape then. You are not. So it looks like your body is using the energy to deal with something and maybe taking it all for a workout is not the best thing. Of course, you can and probably should move a bit, but I wouldn't push too much. I do feel better today, so I started the morning cleaning my range hood. Apparently, it stopped letting the oils through completely, so everything is on the hood and surrounding cabinets. Does it count as a workout? Will go fence tonight, although I am not sure if there will be a lot of people as our coach is traveling.

I am not loving *our warm fall this year. It was in triple digits for the last two days and windy. Plus, I didn't sleep well last night because AC kept turning off, so today I am absolutely exhausted. Didn't do anything all day. Hmm... I did ran two loads of laundry, drove DD to college and then back, napped, and ate probably two days worth of calories. I hope tomorrow is a better day.