Alright....ankle fail is at DEFCON 3*.
Even though I iced before I went to bed, the fact that I had to be on my feet all day (and wearing shoes--no barefooting for me at work...) basically put me back at the "advil-isn't-cutting-it" stage.
I somehow pushed myself to go to the gym after a 7 am workday. I will NEVER understand people who like working out in the afternoon. I was so pre-exhausted from an intense workday PLUS I had to deal with the fact that my ankle was throbbing the whole time that I found it nearly impossible to push myself the way I normally do.
I did have the forethought to run to CVS & buy a wrap for my ankle, so that I could at least have a little stability while I lifted, squatted, and otherwise attempted to make up for the ridiculous number of calories I consumed this afternoon after I realized that my packed lunch** was inedible and that I had to resort to a prepackaged meal from Starbucks (since the food court doesn't actually sell food***).
I had tried to purchase said wrap before work, but I apparently do not live within a 10 mile radius of a 24 hour Walgreens. I had to be at work at 7 am, so I left the house at 6 so I would have time to find a Walgreens & indulge my caffeine addiction before clocking in. I stopped at not one but THREE drugstores (two Walgreens & a CVS), and not one of them was open. Seriously? You couldn't get to my old house without passing two 24 hour Walgreens. I'm terribly disappointed. And in pain because I couldn't wrap my ankle until 4:30 pm.
Anyway.
My workout was "meh" at best. I had to cut all of the jumping movements out of my dynamic warm up. I tried jumping jacks at the outset and my leg said, "Thanks, but no thanks." I didn't push it.
I'm feeling weak, and I don't like it. I'm still gaining body fat (as evidenced by the fact that yet another pair of pants is now in the "I can't fit my rear end into this anymore" drawer), and I'm frustrated as hell. So instead of going out tonight, I'm icing my ankle, going to sleep, and hoping that I can run tomorrow, because I somehow have to make it through a family dinner at an Italian restaurant without having a panic attack over the pasta course tomorrow night.
I honestly don't know what to do.
To top it all off, I'm facing a really huge "win-lose" decision at work, and as much as I'd like to just make the selfish decision because it's technically the easy one, I'm having a hard time determining if it's actually a decision that's going to help my career growth or my team in the end.
I'll leave you on a positive note, though:
At the gym today, I ended up training near where an overweight girl was working with one of the trainers. We started talking while resting between sets (after I complimented her on holding her planks for a minute, which, trust me, is NOT easy). At one point, I was doing my offset squat/shoulder press superset, and, as I grunted my way through the last rep on the shoulders (a rep, by the way, that I don't know how I pulled off, because my shoulders were DONE and I felt terrible about since it was one rep less than I wanted to do), she turned to me and said, "You are really amazing."
So even though I feel terrible about my workout, or not lifting enough, or whatever, there is someone out there who looks at what I do and is inspired to push herself. I guess I can live with that. And try to stop hating on myself. Yeah, that's a work in progress.
Kaila
WORKOUT:
Dynamic Warmup (amended to remove all jumping movements)
Super Set 1: Woodchops (8x3x2) & Planks (90 s)
Super Set 2: Offset Dumbbell Squats (8x3x2) & Standing Alternating Dumbbell Shoulder Press (6x3x2)-->raised the weight on the shoulder press
Super Set 3: Single-Leg Dumbbell Deadlifts (8x3x2) & Machine Assisted Chin Ups (6x3)-->raised the weight on the Deadlifts & lowered the assist on the chin ups
Super Set 4: Alternating Lateral Lunges with Dumbbells (8x3x2) & Two Point Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows (8x3x2)-->raised the weight on the lateral lunges
*Which, in my strange, little brain, means serious, serious preemptive RICE.
**Remind me NEVER to ruin a good meal of green beans, bell peppers, and sweet potatoes with canned salmon again. It was all I could do not to vomit.
***And if that DAMN FALAFEL GUY tries to convince you that the shit he's peddling is healthy because it's vegetarian, vegan, gluten & lactose free, then feel free to remind him that he's holding a tray of fried food and that he's an idiot.
Showing posts with label workouts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label workouts. Show all posts
Friday, June 17, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
A quickie...
And now for a super-fast post, since I needed to be asleep 30 minutes ago, given my ridiculously early projected wake-up time for tomorrow:
Today's workout sucked. With a capital SUCKED. The reason? My stupid ankle. I don't know what I did to it, but it's swollen and it hurts to put pressure on it. So of course I ran a mile and then did a plyometric workout that involved lots of jumping.
I actually made it through the run thanks only to the fact that I didn't wear my New Balances...I think they're part of the problem. I actually wore the Vibrams, and they definitely made running easier. What I like about the barefooting is that I can have somewhat of a conversation with the ground, and make adjustments to my footing with every step. That, and not dealing with heel strike does wonders for my ankle pain.
So anyway.
I did my plyometric workout (see: below), and felt myself getting progressively weaker. It was also getting progressively hotter, so part of my inability to not suck might have to do with the fact that the humidity level was at suffocation and the heat was steadily creeping toward fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk.
To "cool down" after the workout, I took my little dog on an "explore." I'd call it a "walk," but it's more of an exploratory pulling session. (She pulls me for the first half, tires herself out trying to absorb all of the new smells, and then I have to pull her home.) You see, I've started walking her whenever I'm home from work before sun down or I have a day off. It's super-necessary, since she spends all day sleeping on my bed, and I don't want her to become a "hamburger" again. (My little dog is part dachschund--aka a wiener dog--but when she gets chubby, my sister makes fun of her and calls her a hamburger.)
Anyway...No real news here, other than the fact that I had a completely useless day off in which I accomplished very little of my to do list. Publix, my favorite grocery store on the face of the planet (more about that some other time), had a *MAJOR* fail, and so after visiting not one but TWO different stores I returned home without my extra lean turkey breast & ground chicken breast, both of which I needed in order to get my meals prepped for the upcoming week.
At least I did get to spend a few moments with my grandparents, who are off to Chicago for a few months....
Okay, off to bed. More substance to come.
Kaila
1 mile warm up run ("barefoot.")
Plyo Set 1 (repeat 3x w/ 1 min break):
Lateral Ski Jumps (1 min)
Cross Behind Step Up & Over on Bench (1 min)
Sit up & Squat on Bosu (1 min)
In & Out Squat Jumps (1 min)
90 s Break
Plyo Set 2 (repeat 3x w/ 1 min break):
Walking Lunges (1 min, 15 lb dumbbells)
Single-Leg Squat Thrusts (45 s)
Spiderman Push Ups (15 s)
Box Jumps on Step (1 min)
 |
| Bed time? |
Today's workout sucked. With a capital SUCKED. The reason? My stupid ankle. I don't know what I did to it, but it's swollen and it hurts to put pressure on it. So of course I ran a mile and then did a plyometric workout that involved lots of jumping.
I actually made it through the run thanks only to the fact that I didn't wear my New Balances...I think they're part of the problem. I actually wore the Vibrams, and they definitely made running easier. What I like about the barefooting is that I can have somewhat of a conversation with the ground, and make adjustments to my footing with every step. That, and not dealing with heel strike does wonders for my ankle pain.
So anyway.
I did my plyometric workout (see: below), and felt myself getting progressively weaker. It was also getting progressively hotter, so part of my inability to not suck might have to do with the fact that the humidity level was at suffocation and the heat was steadily creeping toward fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk.
To "cool down" after the workout, I took my little dog on an "explore." I'd call it a "walk," but it's more of an exploratory pulling session. (She pulls me for the first half, tires herself out trying to absorb all of the new smells, and then I have to pull her home.) You see, I've started walking her whenever I'm home from work before sun down or I have a day off. It's super-necessary, since she spends all day sleeping on my bed, and I don't want her to become a "hamburger" again. (My little dog is part dachschund--aka a wiener dog--but when she gets chubby, my sister makes fun of her and calls her a hamburger.)
 |
| Becoming a hamburger... |
At least I did get to spend a few moments with my grandparents, who are off to Chicago for a few months....
Okay, off to bed. More substance to come.
Kaila
1 mile warm up run ("barefoot.")
Plyo Set 1 (repeat 3x w/ 1 min break):
Lateral Ski Jumps (1 min)
Cross Behind Step Up & Over on Bench (1 min)
Sit up & Squat on Bosu (1 min)
In & Out Squat Jumps (1 min)
90 s Break
Plyo Set 2 (repeat 3x w/ 1 min break):
Walking Lunges (1 min, 15 lb dumbbells)
Single-Leg Squat Thrusts (45 s)
Spiderman Push Ups (15 s)
Box Jumps on Step (1 min)
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
But My Kinetic Chain is Hurting...
Before we start today's post, I'd just like to share two observations:
1. I've never walked through soup before, but I'm pretty sure that it's the same feeling one would get if he or she took a walk outside right now.
2. A little bit of positivity goes a long way.
Moving on to the actual post:
It's amazing how a knee injury can come back and ruin a morning of single leg squats ten years after the fact.
When I was 12 or so (in the seventh grade), I spent the afternoon with my soon-to-be (at the time) step-brother Chris. This was the era of Blink-182 and JNCO jeans, so that means that he owned all of the necessary punk equipment--including a skateboard and a trick bike.
We decided it would be cool to go explore SW 18th st and take a trip over the turnpike passover. Chris took his skateboard, and I took the trick bike. The next morning, I woke up, and my knee was incredibly swollen. There seemed to be a huge knot just below the kneecap. Neither Advil nor RICE took the pain or the swelling away, and the lump continued to grow for the next week.
By the time I saw a doctor, things were bad. It hurt to walk, it ached when it rained, and the lump just wouldn't get any smaller. It wasn't a minor injury or a simple bursitis--it was a bone tumor called an "osteochondroma," which apparently run in my family. The only way to remove it was to actually shave the piece of bone off of my leg--but the doctor couldn't do it until after I'd finished growing because the tumor was sitting right next to my growth plate.
I spent the rest of middle school & the first half of 9th grade in and out of a leg immobilizer and even crutches by the end. Not being a particularly athletic kid to begin with, I rejoiced at the opportunity to spend phys. ed. on the sidelines reading a book. Unfortunately, though, I was in a lot of pain (like the "4-Advil-every-4-hours-was-completely-ineffective" kind of pain) and I was embarrassed by the ugly deformity that seemed a permanent part of my body.
Fortunately, I was able to have the surgery in January of 2002. The biopsy revealed that the tumor was benign (as expected), and I was all better, but for the ugly scar that to this day stands out on the front of my leg. And the whole nerve damage thing. Oh, and the damage to my kinetic chain.
So, in the fitness world, the kinetic chain is just a fancy way of referencing this song. So many injuries that occur in the gym occur because we have imbalances in our bodies, and when we compensate for those imbalances, we end up damaging the connected bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, etc. (I'll elaborate on this in another post, 'cause I think it deserves some attention.)
In my case, I never properly rehabbed my knee. The muscles were all disrupted by the tumor and then the surgery, and because I never went about strengthening them properly after the surgery, I'm still feeling the after effects. I started running Cross Country in the 10th grade, but even though I was getting stronger, faster, and fitter, my leg was still weak, and my balance & stability were, in technical terms, "piss poor." As a result, I stress fractured my ankle twice--once in 10th and once in 11th, both times during the intensive training periods before District and Regional competition.
To this day, I have little balance or stability in my right leg...and lately, since I've gained a lot of weight and started running again, I've felt that familiar tweak in my ankle. Which made my morning at the gym hell. I could barely hold myself up while I tried to squat on just my right leg...and I had to deal with a throbbing pain in my ankle for the rest of the day.
I'm going to have to take it easy, and I'm NOT happy about it.
However...I'm going to try to keep it positive. I have a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks, not least getting to spend time with my family & some long lost friends :).
Buenas noches (and more tomorrow!)
Kaila
PS My workout for the day:
1. I've never walked through soup before, but I'm pretty sure that it's the same feeling one would get if he or she took a walk outside right now.
2. A little bit of positivity goes a long way.
Moving on to the actual post:
It's amazing how a knee injury can come back and ruin a morning of single leg squats ten years after the fact.
When I was 12 or so (in the seventh grade), I spent the afternoon with my soon-to-be (at the time) step-brother Chris. This was the era of Blink-182 and JNCO jeans, so that means that he owned all of the necessary punk equipment--including a skateboard and a trick bike.
We decided it would be cool to go explore SW 18th st and take a trip over the turnpike passover. Chris took his skateboard, and I took the trick bike. The next morning, I woke up, and my knee was incredibly swollen. There seemed to be a huge knot just below the kneecap. Neither Advil nor RICE took the pain or the swelling away, and the lump continued to grow for the next week.
By the time I saw a doctor, things were bad. It hurt to walk, it ached when it rained, and the lump just wouldn't get any smaller. It wasn't a minor injury or a simple bursitis--it was a bone tumor called an "osteochondroma," which apparently run in my family. The only way to remove it was to actually shave the piece of bone off of my leg--but the doctor couldn't do it until after I'd finished growing because the tumor was sitting right next to my growth plate.
I spent the rest of middle school & the first half of 9th grade in and out of a leg immobilizer and even crutches by the end. Not being a particularly athletic kid to begin with, I rejoiced at the opportunity to spend phys. ed. on the sidelines reading a book. Unfortunately, though, I was in a lot of pain (like the "4-Advil-every-4-hours-was-completely-ineffective" kind of pain) and I was embarrassed by the ugly deformity that seemed a permanent part of my body.
Fortunately, I was able to have the surgery in January of 2002. The biopsy revealed that the tumor was benign (as expected), and I was all better, but for the ugly scar that to this day stands out on the front of my leg. And the whole nerve damage thing. Oh, and the damage to my kinetic chain.
So, in the fitness world, the kinetic chain is just a fancy way of referencing this song. So many injuries that occur in the gym occur because we have imbalances in our bodies, and when we compensate for those imbalances, we end up damaging the connected bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, etc. (I'll elaborate on this in another post, 'cause I think it deserves some attention.)
In my case, I never properly rehabbed my knee. The muscles were all disrupted by the tumor and then the surgery, and because I never went about strengthening them properly after the surgery, I'm still feeling the after effects. I started running Cross Country in the 10th grade, but even though I was getting stronger, faster, and fitter, my leg was still weak, and my balance & stability were, in technical terms, "piss poor." As a result, I stress fractured my ankle twice--once in 10th and once in 11th, both times during the intensive training periods before District and Regional competition.
To this day, I have little balance or stability in my right leg...and lately, since I've gained a lot of weight and started running again, I've felt that familiar tweak in my ankle. Which made my morning at the gym hell. I could barely hold myself up while I tried to squat on just my right leg...and I had to deal with a throbbing pain in my ankle for the rest of the day.
I'm going to have to take it easy, and I'm NOT happy about it.
However...I'm going to try to keep it positive. I have a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks, not least getting to spend time with my family & some long lost friends :).
Buenas noches (and more tomorrow!)
Kaila
PS My workout for the day:
Dynamic warm up
Super Set 1: Reverse Woodchop (8x3) & Stability Ball Jackknife (16x3)
Super Set 2: Step Ups on Bench (8x3) & T-Pushup (4x3)
Super Set 3: Single Leg Squat (8x3) & Alternating Lateral Raise (8x3)
Super Set 4: Supinated Hip Extension with Leg Curl on Stability Ball (16x3) & Inverted Row (8x3)
Monday, June 13, 2011
Anxiety and ED
I am not, nor have I ever really been, a social creature.
Those of you who have been hanging out with me at the Dub or Fat Cats, et al. for the last few months may be shocked to learn this, but I have terrible, terrible social anxiety--and while it wasn't so bad a few months ago, it's coming back strong.
I don't have a problem when I'm at work or in a "home court" kind of setting--a setting where I know the schedule in advance and boundaries have been established in terms of time, place, and eventual meal plans. But when things are up in the air--or when my schedule or meals get interrupted, I panic.
It's especially bad at night, when I've already eaten all of my meals for the day & then have to go out...or if I have to go out before I can finish eating.
I know it's mostly because of ED.
ED is my frenemy for life. He makes me feel like I'm in control, because he lets me add a little structure to my day. And even though I'm not necessarily limiting calories--hell, I'm eating 6 meals a day!--I'm still a slave to ED's idea of how my life needs to be run.
On top of that, I'm still trying to get the hang of not being on my own all of the time. As a child, I preferred books over people, and to this day, when given the choice I will stay home by myself instead of doing any of the millions of much more fun things that I could be doing with other people.
The problem is that, because I've been pushing myself so hard lately--ever since I started hanging out with the awesome band members & fans of Panic Disorder (aptly named, at least in my own personal case) and then my wonderful, but ridiculously social coworkers--that now I'm actually falling back into that desire to never leave my house after dark again.
This happened when I was going through the depression/ED/insanity in NYC last summer, and I don't know what to do now that it's happening again. The problem with going out and trying to work through it is that a) it doesn't work, b) my whole day/night/next day gets thrown off, and c) it makes me a not-fun-to-be-around party-pooper.
So there's that.
Today's workout was late, since I stayed out later than I should have last night and then overslept my alarm. I know that, for some people, waking up at 7 am is a crime against god, but I prefer to be up before the sun, get my workout done before the gym gets full of people who want to stop my workout to talk to me about everything except why they're not actually working out and just socializing and therefore ruining my morning, and then get on with my day...
Dynamic Warm Up
Super Set 1: Woodchops (8x3x2) & Planks (90 s) -->raised weights on woodchop
Super Set 2: Offset Dumbbell Squats (8x3x2) & Standing Alternating Dumbbell Shoulder Press (8x3x2) -->raised weights on squats & shoulder press
Super Set 3: Single-Leg Dumbbell Deadlifts (8x3x2) & Machine Assisted Chin Ups (8x3)
Super Set 4: Alternating Lateral Lunges with Dumbbells (8x3x2) & Two Point Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows (8x3x2)
Cool Down
Anyway. Sorry to dump that on all of you out there in internet-land, but I needed to write it. I'm going to go run errands and wait for the A/C guy to come and fix our air conditioning before the roof caves in....
Kaila
Those of you who have been hanging out with me at the Dub or Fat Cats, et al. for the last few months may be shocked to learn this, but I have terrible, terrible social anxiety--and while it wasn't so bad a few months ago, it's coming back strong.
I don't have a problem when I'm at work or in a "home court" kind of setting--a setting where I know the schedule in advance and boundaries have been established in terms of time, place, and eventual meal plans. But when things are up in the air--or when my schedule or meals get interrupted, I panic.
It's especially bad at night, when I've already eaten all of my meals for the day & then have to go out...or if I have to go out before I can finish eating.
I know it's mostly because of ED.
ED is my frenemy for life. He makes me feel like I'm in control, because he lets me add a little structure to my day. And even though I'm not necessarily limiting calories--hell, I'm eating 6 meals a day!--I'm still a slave to ED's idea of how my life needs to be run.
On top of that, I'm still trying to get the hang of not being on my own all of the time. As a child, I preferred books over people, and to this day, when given the choice I will stay home by myself instead of doing any of the millions of much more fun things that I could be doing with other people.
The problem is that, because I've been pushing myself so hard lately--ever since I started hanging out with the awesome band members & fans of Panic Disorder (aptly named, at least in my own personal case) and then my wonderful, but ridiculously social coworkers--that now I'm actually falling back into that desire to never leave my house after dark again.
This happened when I was going through the depression/ED/insanity in NYC last summer, and I don't know what to do now that it's happening again. The problem with going out and trying to work through it is that a) it doesn't work, b) my whole day/night/next day gets thrown off, and c) it makes me a not-fun-to-be-around party-pooper.
So there's that.
Today's workout was late, since I stayed out later than I should have last night and then overslept my alarm. I know that, for some people, waking up at 7 am is a crime against god, but I prefer to be up before the sun, get my workout done before the gym gets full of people who want to stop my workout to talk to me about everything except why they're not actually working out and just socializing and therefore ruining my morning, and then get on with my day...
Dynamic Warm Up
Super Set 1: Woodchops (8x3x2) & Planks (90 s) -->raised weights on woodchop
Super Set 2: Offset Dumbbell Squats (8x3x2) & Standing Alternating Dumbbell Shoulder Press (8x3x2) -->raised weights on squats & shoulder press
Super Set 3: Single-Leg Dumbbell Deadlifts (8x3x2) & Machine Assisted Chin Ups (8x3)
Super Set 4: Alternating Lateral Lunges with Dumbbells (8x3x2) & Two Point Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows (8x3x2)
Cool Down
Anyway. Sorry to dump that on all of you out there in internet-land, but I needed to write it. I'm going to go run errands and wait for the A/C guy to come and fix our air conditioning before the roof caves in....
 |
| How does this HAPPEN??? |
Friday, June 10, 2011
The Early Bird Catches the Worm. Noisily.
I'd like to apologize to my roommates, present, past, and potentially future (and, yes, family, this includes you).
I don't know why, but I am a morning person. A ridiculously, ridiculously early morning person. I like to be awake before the sun comes up. I like to get my workout done before some people have gone to bed. I like having the quiet, people-free hours to just get stuff done.
Ever since I was a child this has been the case. When I was in elementary school, I used to get up at 5 am on Saturdays so I could read The Babysitters' Club before the Saturday morning cartoons came on. In high school, I would get to school an hour or more before the bell to discuss politics with one of my favorite teachers, Ms. Drews. When I was teaching, I got up before dawn so I could watch the news and make fun of the weather girl with my dad (who is also a ridiculously early riser). So this early morning being-up-ness is nothing new.
Unfortunately, my early morning productivity means that I have to be in the common areas of the domicile in which I currently reside while I do all of the things that just simply can't wait until later--like cooking, cleaning, and organizing my life. And all of these things usually end up making noise.
I do my best to be quiet in the mornings--I really do. But I find that, sometimes (and more often than not) the quieter I try to be, the more noise I end up making. For example, yesterday I got up to make cookies for Kyle (who was very much still asleep), and while I was candying the bacon in our oven, I managed to set off the fire alarm. Sorry, Kyle...(Although it's not entirely my fault that our oven gets a lot hotter than the temperature settings seem to suggest--and since it's weird and electric, it only has settings for 350 and 400, but not 375...which is terribly annoying. However I have the prettiest kitchen in the whole world, so I suppose I can suck it up and just cook the bacon for longer on lower heat next time...)
This morning, I tried to be especially quiet since Julian isn't feeling well...But I still had to make my food and do my dishes, and the microwave, blender, and sink are located right next to his bedroom window. Sorry, Julian...I did, however, try to minimize the noise that I would have generated by making a protein shake in the blender by carrying the blender across the house and using it on the floor in the dining "room". Hope that helped...
Anyway, I'm not going to give up my early mornings for anything. As much as I like to go out and have fun at night, if given the choice, I'm going to be a grandma and go to bed after primetime and get up with the sun. (I know I'm lame; sue me.)
Today's workout was a lot of fun. I was running a little bit later than I'd liked, since I slept in until 5:05, which meant that I got to the gym about 30 minutes later than I'd wanted to. I ended up cutting almost all of the rest time between sets in order to make up for the time, which meant that I had the chance to get seriously sweaty by the end of the workout. I also progressed my inverted rows to the stability ball--and actually managed to make it through all 24 reps (8x3). I also felt a little bit better about my single-leg squats. I am still struggling to get the balance (before I can even start to tackle range!), but at least I'm feeling a little more steady on my feet. Or foot, such as the case may be.
I don't know why, but I am a morning person. A ridiculously, ridiculously early morning person. I like to be awake before the sun comes up. I like to get my workout done before some people have gone to bed. I like having the quiet, people-free hours to just get stuff done.
Ever since I was a child this has been the case. When I was in elementary school, I used to get up at 5 am on Saturdays so I could read The Babysitters' Club before the Saturday morning cartoons came on. In high school, I would get to school an hour or more before the bell to discuss politics with one of my favorite teachers, Ms. Drews. When I was teaching, I got up before dawn so I could watch the news and make fun of the weather girl with my dad (who is also a ridiculously early riser). So this early morning being-up-ness is nothing new.
Unfortunately, my early morning productivity means that I have to be in the common areas of the domicile in which I currently reside while I do all of the things that just simply can't wait until later--like cooking, cleaning, and organizing my life. And all of these things usually end up making noise.
I do my best to be quiet in the mornings--I really do. But I find that, sometimes (and more often than not) the quieter I try to be, the more noise I end up making. For example, yesterday I got up to make cookies for Kyle (who was very much still asleep), and while I was candying the bacon in our oven, I managed to set off the fire alarm. Sorry, Kyle...(Although it's not entirely my fault that our oven gets a lot hotter than the temperature settings seem to suggest--and since it's weird and electric, it only has settings for 350 and 400, but not 375...which is terribly annoying. However I have the prettiest kitchen in the whole world, so I suppose I can suck it up and just cook the bacon for longer on lower heat next time...)
 |
| I love my kitchen. |
 |
| The perfect "room" for blending shakes, apparently. |
Today's workout was a lot of fun. I was running a little bit later than I'd liked, since I slept in until 5:05, which meant that I got to the gym about 30 minutes later than I'd wanted to. I ended up cutting almost all of the rest time between sets in order to make up for the time, which meant that I had the chance to get seriously sweaty by the end of the workout. I also progressed my inverted rows to the stability ball--and actually managed to make it through all 24 reps (8x3). I also felt a little bit better about my single-leg squats. I am still struggling to get the balance (before I can even start to tackle range!), but at least I'm feeling a little more steady on my feet. Or foot, such as the case may be.
Dynamic warm up
Super Set 1: Reverse Woodchop (8x3) & Stability Ball Jackknife
Super Set 2: Step Ups on Bench with Dumbbells (8x3) & T-Pushup with Dumbbells (4x3)
Super Set 3: Single Leg Squat (8x3) & Alternating Lateral Raise (8x3)
Super Set 4: Supinated Hip Extension with Leg Curl on Stability Ball (16x3) & Inverted Row with Feet
Elevated on Stability Ball (8x3)
Cool Down
Anywho, that's all I have for now...
Kaila
Thursday, June 9, 2011
On pushing too hard, nap-mares, and bacon...
Since my last post was about perseverance through the pain, I thought that today I'd briefly touch on the flip side of that, which is knowing when not to push it.
Today I woke up late. Late, as in my alarm was set for 4:45, and I woke up and then reset the alarm for 7:00. My body said, "Listen, you've been pushing us a little bit too hard lately, and since you didn't listen when I told you that our neck hurt, I'm going to make you pay for it this morning."
It's hard to argue with a body.
In the past, I would have just forced myself out of bed, run the 3 or so miles I had planned to run, and then done my plyometric workout, pain be damned. I'd pay for it later, when my back or my knees or my shoulders or ankle gave out (again, as always), and then I'd be unable to work out at all for the next month.
This afternoon, I planned to work out despite the heat and humidity around 3 pm. I had my whey protein and got into my workout clothes...but I was so tired that I couldn't motivate myself to leave the house. My body said, "Listen, we're still catching up on that whole "rest" thing, so if you can just let us nap for a bit, that would be great."
I took a nap. For an hour and a half. I never nap. Apparently I needed it.
(I didn't, however, need the "nap-mare" that woke me up literally crying at 5 pm. The dream was so vivid that I can still recall the whole entire storyline. I'm still not entirely convinced that my sister wasn't accidentally stabbed in the stomach by a med student at her school or that my dog wasn't let out the back door and then hit by a car. ...Yeah, it was that bad.)
I eventually did work out--and I only pushed it as far as I could without hurting my neck or shoulder and potentially canceling tomorrow's workout in advance.
Today:
1 mile warm up run ("barefoot.")
Plyo Set 1 (repeat 3x w/ 1 min break):
Lateral Ski Jumps (1 min)
Cross Behind Step Up & Over on Bench (1 min)
Sit up & Squat on Bosu (1 min)
In & Out Squat Jumps (30 s)
90 s Break
Plyo Set 2 (repeat 3x w/ 1 min break):
Walking Lunges (1 min, 15 lb dumbbells)
Single-Leg Squat Thrusts (30 s)
Spiderman Push Ups (30 s)
Box Jumps on Step (1 min)
Was it a ridiculously impossible cross-fit-worthy cardio extravaganza? No. But I worked up a sweat, and it felt good to move my body. I also ran in my vibrams for the first time....talk about pushing it. Barefoot running is going to take some serious getting used to.
Anyway...I'm off to finish a last load of laundry...I'll provide something more substantial tomorrow, I'm sure.
Kaila
PS I "stole" a recipe from How Sweet it Is, and made the most ridiculous cookies ever for my roommate. Instagram pictures below:
Today I woke up late. Late, as in my alarm was set for 4:45, and I woke up and then reset the alarm for 7:00. My body said, "Listen, you've been pushing us a little bit too hard lately, and since you didn't listen when I told you that our neck hurt, I'm going to make you pay for it this morning."
It's hard to argue with a body.
In the past, I would have just forced myself out of bed, run the 3 or so miles I had planned to run, and then done my plyometric workout, pain be damned. I'd pay for it later, when my back or my knees or my shoulders or ankle gave out (again, as always), and then I'd be unable to work out at all for the next month.
This afternoon, I planned to work out despite the heat and humidity around 3 pm. I had my whey protein and got into my workout clothes...but I was so tired that I couldn't motivate myself to leave the house. My body said, "Listen, we're still catching up on that whole "rest" thing, so if you can just let us nap for a bit, that would be great."
I took a nap. For an hour and a half. I never nap. Apparently I needed it.
(I didn't, however, need the "nap-mare" that woke me up literally crying at 5 pm. The dream was so vivid that I can still recall the whole entire storyline. I'm still not entirely convinced that my sister wasn't accidentally stabbed in the stomach by a med student at her school or that my dog wasn't let out the back door and then hit by a car. ...Yeah, it was that bad.)
I eventually did work out--and I only pushed it as far as I could without hurting my neck or shoulder and potentially canceling tomorrow's workout in advance.
Today:
1 mile warm up run ("barefoot.")
Plyo Set 1 (repeat 3x w/ 1 min break):
Lateral Ski Jumps (1 min)
Cross Behind Step Up & Over on Bench (1 min)
Sit up & Squat on Bosu (1 min)
In & Out Squat Jumps (30 s)
90 s Break
Plyo Set 2 (repeat 3x w/ 1 min break):
Walking Lunges (1 min, 15 lb dumbbells)
Single-Leg Squat Thrusts (30 s)
Spiderman Push Ups (30 s)
Box Jumps on Step (1 min)
Was it a ridiculously impossible cross-fit-worthy cardio extravaganza? No. But I worked up a sweat, and it felt good to move my body. I also ran in my vibrams for the first time....talk about pushing it. Barefoot running is going to take some serious getting used to.
Anyway...I'm off to finish a last load of laundry...I'll provide something more substantial tomorrow, I'm sure.
Kaila
PS I "stole" a recipe from How Sweet it Is, and made the most ridiculous cookies ever for my roommate. Instagram pictures below:
 |
| Gathering the ingredients... |
 |
| Notice how the cinnamon looks like kind of like a heart? That's 'cause I bake love into every bite ;) |
 |
| Yes, that is chocolate and candied bacon, and yes, that really happened. |
 |
| Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Candied Bacon. Voila! |
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Insomnia and Anxiety are Bad in Bed
I think my brain has forgotten how to sleep, and my body's not happy about it.
This is the second day in a row that anxiety kept me from falling asleep, and anxiety-filled dreams woke me up when I finally dozed off. Apparently, I've been such a restless sleeper, that even my little dog, who normally sleeps under the covers and spoons with the backs of my knees, slept on the arm chair in the corner of my room.
Somehow, despite my lack of restful sleep (and despite the vivid dreams that my roommates were purposely breaking my MacBook Air or that I was facilitating a presentation to a group of new hires, only I didn't know the material, etc.), I ended up "sleeping funny" and getting a kink in my neck. It hurts to turn my head now...so much so that I almost skipped the gym this morning.
Almost.
I figured, since I couldn't turn my head, I'd be forced to keep my head in a neutral, forward position during my workout. (And, believe it or not, that's exactly what happened.)
Today's workout, once again brought to you by Rachel Cosgrove:
Dynamic Warmup (You know it's dynamic when you're just warming up & you're already sweating!)
Super Set 1: Woodchops (8x3x2) & Planks (90 s)
Super Set 2: Offset Dumbbell Squats (8x3x2) & Standing Alternating Dumbbell Shoulder Press (8x3x2)
Super Set 3: Single-Leg Dumbbell Deadlifts (8x3x2) & Machine Assisted Chin Ups (8x3)
Super Set 4: Alternating Lateral Lunges with Dumbbells (8x3x2) & Two Point Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows (8x3x2)
Cool Down
Despite the neck and the insomnia, today's workout was just awesome. I felt strong--I lifted as heavily as I could despite the fact that my grip strength is terrible (which means that I'm going to have to do a little bit of grip work if I want to get to 40 lbs on the rows or improve my chin ups), and I even pushed past the point of giving up on the planks. I'm working hard on the whole "not-giving-in-or-giving-up" thing. In the gym and in life. I'm used to just quitting when it gets too hard--see: everything I've ever done in my life--so pushing past that last impossible rep by doing another, adding another 5 lbs for the final set, or holding a plank & keeping my core strong even though my entire body is shaking is a big deal for me.
I'm making a commitment to doing that in my outside-of-the-gym life.
Those of you who work with me know that I've been working on my composure--but lately I've been feeling like I'm fighting a losing battle. That kills me, because I want so badly to be a positive influence at work--and it's hard to do that when it feels like the world is crashing down around--and inside of--me.
But I can't just give in to the depression again. That would be just as bad as copping out on the last rep or waiting until the next workout to lift that extra five pounds. So the lesson for today is that I need to do some grip work, and I need to get a grip. That means no cheating with lifting straps or meltdowns in the back of house.
Alright then. Onto today. (Bring it!)
Kaila
This is the second day in a row that anxiety kept me from falling asleep, and anxiety-filled dreams woke me up when I finally dozed off. Apparently, I've been such a restless sleeper, that even my little dog, who normally sleeps under the covers and spoons with the backs of my knees, slept on the arm chair in the corner of my room.
Somehow, despite my lack of restful sleep (and despite the vivid dreams that my roommates were purposely breaking my MacBook Air or that I was facilitating a presentation to a group of new hires, only I didn't know the material, etc.), I ended up "sleeping funny" and getting a kink in my neck. It hurts to turn my head now...so much so that I almost skipped the gym this morning.
Almost.
I figured, since I couldn't turn my head, I'd be forced to keep my head in a neutral, forward position during my workout. (And, believe it or not, that's exactly what happened.)
Today's workout, once again brought to you by Rachel Cosgrove:
Dynamic Warmup (You know it's dynamic when you're just warming up & you're already sweating!)
Super Set 1: Woodchops (8x3x2) & Planks (90 s)
Super Set 2: Offset Dumbbell Squats (8x3x2) & Standing Alternating Dumbbell Shoulder Press (8x3x2)
Super Set 3: Single-Leg Dumbbell Deadlifts (8x3x2) & Machine Assisted Chin Ups (8x3)
Super Set 4: Alternating Lateral Lunges with Dumbbells (8x3x2) & Two Point Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows (8x3x2)
Cool Down
Despite the neck and the insomnia, today's workout was just awesome. I felt strong--I lifted as heavily as I could despite the fact that my grip strength is terrible (which means that I'm going to have to do a little bit of grip work if I want to get to 40 lbs on the rows or improve my chin ups), and I even pushed past the point of giving up on the planks. I'm working hard on the whole "not-giving-in-or-giving-up" thing. In the gym and in life. I'm used to just quitting when it gets too hard--see: everything I've ever done in my life--so pushing past that last impossible rep by doing another, adding another 5 lbs for the final set, or holding a plank & keeping my core strong even though my entire body is shaking is a big deal for me.
I'm making a commitment to doing that in my outside-of-the-gym life.
Those of you who work with me know that I've been working on my composure--but lately I've been feeling like I'm fighting a losing battle. That kills me, because I want so badly to be a positive influence at work--and it's hard to do that when it feels like the world is crashing down around--and inside of--me.
But I can't just give in to the depression again. That would be just as bad as copping out on the last rep or waiting until the next workout to lift that extra five pounds. So the lesson for today is that I need to do some grip work, and I need to get a grip. That means no cheating with lifting straps or meltdowns in the back of house.
Alright then. Onto today. (Bring it!)
Kaila
Saturday, June 4, 2011
The Never-Ending Story...
Before we begin Part Two of Part Three of my story, I figured I'd post a little bit about today's fitness regimen. Since that seems to be what all the cool kids are doing. (Have I mentioned that I am a total fitness/food blog lurker? Because I am.)
5:45 am: 20 minute run. 2.58 mi. 2 min warmup and then alternating 1 min sprints/1 min recovery jog.
6:05 am: Plyometrics
SET ONE (repeat 3x with 1 min break between each set):
Jump rope (1 min)
Lunge Jumps (30 s)
Mountain Climbers (45 s)
Squat Jumps (30 s)
SET TWO (repeat 3x with 1 min break between each set):
Lateral Step out Squats (1 min)
Fairy Skips in Place (30 s)
Step Out Plank on Swiss Ball (30 s)
Burpees (30s)
I'm not sure if the fairy skips are really called just that...but that's what we called them back when I ran Cross Country in high school. (Coach used to make the boys do them whenever the football team walked past us...)
Anyway.
I was also forced to buy new training shoes yesterday. I can't afford to spend money on another pair, since I just had to go out and buy new running shoes (since I haven't run in a year), but it was time.
So now I am the proud (?) owner of a pair of Vibram KSOs...These are the geekiest things I have ever owned, and I definitely owned a pair of four inch white foam platform Spice Girls-style sandals in the fifth grade. Just sayin'.
I can't wait to see how these babies fare in the gym. I've heard that they're awesome for lifting--I was going to get another pair of Converse for the gym, but since I'm adding plyos, I needed an all-purpose shoe, and this was the one that they told me I needed. (Yes, "They." You know who "They" are. "They" live in Google and dispense good advice so long as I refine my search terms properly...)
So now that you're caught up on the immediate, here's the backstory (continued):
Over Christmas break, I made the decision to stay at Columbia. I finished my outstanding assignments (which meant writing over 50 pages of theoretical & dramaturgical analysis and the first draft of a full length play in a month) and went back up to the city. I staked out a seat at the famous Hungarian Pastry Shop, which was to become my new home for the next several months as I worked on revising my play, and I took advantage of daily bottomless cups of coffee (it tasted terrible, but refills were FREE!) since my new apartment was right next door.
But things still weren't right with the world. Although I was trying hard to go out with my incredible classmates (to sing musical theatre karaoke at Marie's Crisis with Ian or to the village for a Sweet Fix show with my fellow dramaturgs & Leslie), to see 3-4 shows (Broadway, Off-, and way-the-fuck-Off) per week, to sit through late night rehearsals for Collaboration class, and to generally find a more positive outlook on life (told you I hate periods--this whole paragraph is only two sentences long), I was still more concerned with working out, eating less, and losing weight.
By the end of the semester, I was spent. Emotionally, physically, and financially. I got two jobs, one at the Columbia Arts Initiative as a social media/bitch-work intern (read the articles here), and the other folding towels and swiping ID cards at the Dodge Fitness Center.
Mind you, I still wasn't making enough money to live, so even though I didn't feel like I was losing enough weight from my body, my bank account seemed to have an overactive metabolism...It was also the hottest summer I have ever experienced--which was miserable to begin with, a misery only compounded by the fact that I had no A/C in my apartment. So I was waking up at 4:30/5, running to (and from) the gym, working out, biking to work, working all day, biking to my second job, folding towels until midnight, and then packing my meals for the next day...I was over everything. I even cut off all of my hair to cut down on the time I spent getting ready after the gym in the morning.
It was over the summer that I started studying for my certification in Personal Training through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (hereinafter referred to as NASM). As a theatre/english major with next to no background in biology (outside of that awesome 10th grade AP Bio class), studying the anatomy and physiology portion was a massively intensive endeavor. But it was the first time all year that I felt like I was studying for a reason. While the rest of the world seemed like it was crashing down around me, I had my own little oasis of reason and sanity in the NASM textbook.
I attended the NASM hands-on cPT workshop on July 11-12, and on July 13, I took a medical leave of absence from Columbia.
Guess I'll leave you here for the night, since it's already 10 pm, and I need to get up early to run with my dad...Stay tuned for Part Three of Part Three!
-Kaila
5:45 am: 20 minute run. 2.58 mi. 2 min warmup and then alternating 1 min sprints/1 min recovery jog.
6:05 am: Plyometrics
SET ONE (repeat 3x with 1 min break between each set):
Jump rope (1 min)
Lunge Jumps (30 s)
Mountain Climbers (45 s)
Squat Jumps (30 s)
SET TWO (repeat 3x with 1 min break between each set):
Lateral Step out Squats (1 min)
Fairy Skips in Place (30 s)
Step Out Plank on Swiss Ball (30 s)
Burpees (30s)
I'm not sure if the fairy skips are really called just that...but that's what we called them back when I ran Cross Country in high school. (Coach used to make the boys do them whenever the football team walked past us...)
Anyway.
I was also forced to buy new training shoes yesterday. I can't afford to spend money on another pair, since I just had to go out and buy new running shoes (since I haven't run in a year), but it was time.
So now I am the proud (?) owner of a pair of Vibram KSOs...These are the geekiest things I have ever owned, and I definitely owned a pair of four inch white foam platform Spice Girls-style sandals in the fifth grade. Just sayin'.
 |
| I feel silly. |
So now that you're caught up on the immediate, here's the backstory (continued):
Over Christmas break, I made the decision to stay at Columbia. I finished my outstanding assignments (which meant writing over 50 pages of theoretical & dramaturgical analysis and the first draft of a full length play in a month) and went back up to the city. I staked out a seat at the famous Hungarian Pastry Shop, which was to become my new home for the next several months as I worked on revising my play, and I took advantage of daily bottomless cups of coffee (it tasted terrible, but refills were FREE!) since my new apartment was right next door.
But things still weren't right with the world. Although I was trying hard to go out with my incredible classmates (to sing musical theatre karaoke at Marie's Crisis with Ian or to the village for a Sweet Fix show with my fellow dramaturgs & Leslie), to see 3-4 shows (Broadway, Off-, and way-the-fuck-Off) per week, to sit through late night rehearsals for Collaboration class, and to generally find a more positive outlook on life (told you I hate periods--this whole paragraph is only two sentences long), I was still more concerned with working out, eating less, and losing weight.
 |
| Our playwriting class was a clever ruse to convert innocent dramaturgs into Sweet Fix groupies. |
 |
| Celebrating a successful Collaboration. |
Mind you, I still wasn't making enough money to live, so even though I didn't feel like I was losing enough weight from my body, my bank account seemed to have an overactive metabolism...It was also the hottest summer I have ever experienced--which was miserable to begin with, a misery only compounded by the fact that I had no A/C in my apartment. So I was waking up at 4:30/5, running to (and from) the gym, working out, biking to work, working all day, biking to my second job, folding towels until midnight, and then packing my meals for the next day...I was over everything. I even cut off all of my hair to cut down on the time I spent getting ready after the gym in the morning.
 |
| Boy hair! (Which I actually kind of miss...) |
It was over the summer that I started studying for my certification in Personal Training through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (hereinafter referred to as NASM). As a theatre/english major with next to no background in biology (outside of that awesome 10th grade AP Bio class), studying the anatomy and physiology portion was a massively intensive endeavor. But it was the first time all year that I felt like I was studying for a reason. While the rest of the world seemed like it was crashing down around me, I had my own little oasis of reason and sanity in the NASM textbook.
I attended the NASM hands-on cPT workshop on July 11-12, and on July 13, I took a medical leave of absence from Columbia.
Guess I'll leave you here for the night, since it's already 10 pm, and I need to get up early to run with my dad...Stay tuned for Part Three of Part Three!
-Kaila
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