What's Done, Is Done.

January is over and so is my commitment to the Les Mills Pump/Raise The Bar Challenge.  I'd love to be posting fabulous 90 Day results photos, but it's not going to happen.  I look about like I did at the 30 day mark, which is still an improvement over where I started, but not what I know was possible if I hadn't gotten so off track (and failed to get back on). 

While January wasn't exactly wonderful on the fitness front, it wasn't a total loss either.  I uploaded my Garmin data and discovered that I rode almost 57 miles last month and really enjoyed them - which is a good thing since I foresee spending a lot of time in saddle from now until September.

 Spring/Summer training season is just around the corner and I've got some interesting plans for this year - which I plan to blog about in the near future.

Reset & Recommit

I have a million and one excuses for why the Raise The Bar challenge went off the rails shortly after Day 60: Puerto Rico, Christmas, New Years, crappy weather that makes me want to hibernate...blah, blah, blah.  At any rate, I've managed to undo a lot of hard work in the last few weeks, but all is not lost. I'm resetting the clock to Day 64 (right about when I fell apart), and recommitting myself to this challenge for the next 26 days. 

(source)

Day 64: Freeze It Off or Burn It Off:
Unless you live under a rock (or outside the US), you've probably seen that large parts of the country are experiencing record-breaking cold temperatures courtesy of Winter Storm Ion.  When I rolled out of bed this morning the weather looked like this:

Schools are closed. Grocery shelves have been stripped bare because apparently cold weather = lay in provisions for the zombie apocalypse. And lucky me, I didn't have to drag myself out in the cold and go to work because I happened to have scheduled my very last vacation day from 2013 (my boss let me roll 2 days over into this year) TODAY!

I had a handful of things that I wanted to get done today in between long stints of vegging out on the couch, so I tackled the thing that would have been the easiest to let slide later in the day: my workout. As it turns out, a sweaty, muscle-burning workout (Pump Extreme) was just what I needed to drive the chill from my bones - at least for a little while!

When Mr. R&R got home from work he headed to The Cave to do his workout and I got to work on dinner.  I normally save this dish for a weekend meal since it requires multiple pots/pans, but a steaming hot bowl of pasta sounded like the perfect dinner on a freezing cold night.

sauteed spinach, mushrooms, and onions over whole wheat pasta with a sprinkle of feta

I also made balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts as a side dish and they were fantastic.

Day 65: Rise and Grind
I went back to work today after four glorious days off - and promptly felt like I'd never been away!  I have to admit that it was nice going back to my normal routine.  I ate my meals and snacks on schedule (something I struggled with when my routine was disrupted), came home, and headed to The Cave for some quality time on the trainer before dinner.

 I was really pleased with my average speed - especially since I increased the resistance on the back wheel (read: made it harder) in hopes of being a stronger rider when I get back out on the roads in spring.

Day 66: I Have No One To Blame But Myself
Tonight's scheduled workout was Hard Core Abs.  However, since I was freezing cold, I decided to hop on the trainer for an easy spin/warm up while Mr. R&R did his workout.  I forced myself to stay in my small chain ring for the duration, although seeing low speed numbers was driving me crazy, but it was probably for the best since I'd already punished my legs the night before and planned to do it again on Thursday!

Hard Core Abs was brutal and I have no one to blame but myself.  The workout has always been a tough one, but I was getting better at it...until I let everything go to seed!  I foresee a long road back to the core strength I was rocking before the holidays.

Day 67: Reset, Recommit, Re-Up
I shouldn't be this excited, but compared to the last few days, it practically felt like a heat wave!
 

You Know You're From Wisconsin When 2 Degrees Feels Warm!

I forced myself through 55 minutes of Pump Revolution (one of the trainers in that video just grates on my nerves), chugged a protein shake, enjoyed my chicken pita pizza, and then did something I've been meaning to do for a while: I re-upped my tri team membership for 2014. Yep...you get another season of me trying to keep all the plates spinning while training in all three sports. :)

Day 68: Ice. Cold. Beer.
It was actually a little warmer here today (low 30's), but a steady stream of rain hitting frozen ground made for one very scary walk across the office parking lot and a slow, slippery ride home. I met up with Mr. R&R, Miss Placed, and Yada Yada for happy hour (up the street from my house) and then proceeded to hibernate in the house (along with a yummy pizza) for the rest of the night.  Now that's what I call a rest day!

Day 69: My Driveway Is An Ice Rink
All that freezing rain yesterday lead to my driveway and most of the city streets becoming a giant ice rink. In the interest of not breaking an ankle, Mr. R&R and I stayed in, worked out (P90 strength for him, Pump Revolution for me), and spent some quality time with the bunnies.

Day 70: Something Old. Something New.
FINALLY! I finally dragged my ass to the gym (because I have to check-in there at least once a year in order to keep my membership/pool privileges active) and ran.  I didn't run for very long since I still hate the treadmill, but I RAN, and holy cow...I have a lot of work to do. That 2 miles hurt way more than it should have.

The Proof Is On The Garmin!!!

I also submitted my registration to become a member of the local running club.  I had the opportunity to participate in a few of their Wednesday night fun runs last summer as part of the Iron Cheerleader's tri training, and since I'd like to do more of those runs, why not do it as a member?!?

Now I just need to start running more!

Are you part of any teams or social groups?  What ones and what drew you to them?

Birthdays, Birds, and Bling

Day 57: She's Got Dead Legs
So...I think I got a little over-exuberant on the trainer last night because all day long, my legs felt like two lead sticks.  The thought of hundreds of squats and lunges made me want to weep.  I took a rest day - and it. was. great.  I got a few things done and then took to the couch with my fuzzy blanket followed by crawling into bed early in hopes of feeling better by Tuesday.

Day 58: It Fits!
Normally I don't leave the office for lunch, but today was an exception.  I made a mad dash across town to pick up my dress from the seamstress. Then I raced home to try it on...it was perfect.  Whew! One less thing to stress out about.  Now I just have to make sure to keep my shoes on so I don't trip over the hem.  After work it was down to The Cave for 55 minutes of Pump Revolution.  I think I'm going to have to turn the music up during that one so the neighbors don't hear my quads screaming!

Today was also Spot's Birthday.  I can't believe that the tiny little 4 month old bunny we adopted is already 4 years old. Man...time flies.

Day 59: Last Chance!
Tonight was my last chance to cram in a workout before the big 60 day milestone...and the epic feast that followed, but first I had to run to the mall in search of jewelry to go with the aforementioned dress - since I generally stay as far away from malls as possible between Thanksgiving and New Year's.  Fortunately it was a pretty painless experience since I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted and both items were actually in stock!

 After the brief trip to the mall it was down to The Cave for a trainer ride while Mr. R&R worked out, followed by HardCore Abs.

When I first started this challenge, HardCore Abs was the bane of my existence.  It. Was. Hard.  It hasn't gotten any easier, but I've definitely gotten stronger. I surprised myself by being able to do a couple of the walking hovers on my toes before dropping back to my knees.

Day 60: Gobble Gobble
Mr. R&R and I did our 60 Day weigh-in/measurements/photo shoot before I got down to the business cooking.  Since I was only cooking for my mom and I this year, I opted out of making a whole turkey and went for a turkey breast instead.  The bird went into the oven around noon and spent the next few hours hanging out in there.

Once the bird was in the oven, it was time to start the side dishes and dessert.  My mom arrived around 2pm, just as Mr. R&R was heading out to his parents' house, bringing with her all the ingredients for a spinach souffle.  Don't ask me how, but between mom, myself, and a good bottle of white Bordeaux, we got dinner on the table at our originally appointed time and there were no disasters - it even looked kind of pretty!

I put a little of everything on my plate, but I think my favorites were mom's spinach souffle and the brussels sprouts with gorgonzola sauce.

Carbs, Greens & Protein!

After dinner and dishes, dessert went into the oven and Mom and I moved into the living room to polish off the wine and hang out with Walter, Spot, and our wheeking little house guest (we're pig-sitting again).

What are you? And why do your ears look so funny?

Dessert came out of the oven looking like this:

And hit the table looking like this:

Neither Mom, nor I like pumpkin pie, but we've never met a turtle sundae we didn't like, so this dark chocolate chunk bread pudding topped with vanilla ice cream, hot caramel sauce, and salted pecans was the perfect dessert for us!

Later in the evening, Mr. R&R and I met up with his mom, brother, and brother's girlfriend for our annual Thanksgiving Eve/Black Friday foray to the outlet mall.  I wasn't planning on going this year, but after purging so much of my wardrobe a few weeks ago, the work-appropriate clothing situation was getting pretty dire, and 50% off of everything at some of my favorite outlet stores convinced me to go - and I'm glad I did.  Most of the stores opened at 8pm this year, so we arrived around 9pm.  Mr. R&R and I hit up all of our favorites and were home by 1am (it's about a 40 minute drive home) - and I even managed to score one of my mom's Christmas presents while we were there!  Oh, and let's not forget about the dangerously delicious deal we found at the Lindt outlet: 100 Lindor Truffles for $25! So far, my favorites are stracciatella and sea salt - and I suspect that I will be in love with the caramel truffle as well when I finally try one. 3 hours of walking around an outlet mall counts as a workout, right?

Oh Yeah...That Happened.

Day 61: Can All Friday's Be Like This?
Due to my Black Friday adventures, I was a little tired this morning, but a quick stop at Caribou on my way to the office (I volunteered to provide adult supervision) helped immensely.  I got to work around 9am and the phones and my email were so quiet that I got a ton of work done.  By 2pm it was obvious that no major meltdowns were going to happen (those usually occur early in the day) and that keeping the office open just for the sake of being open was just silly, so I shut it down and headed home to go through and try on the loot Mr. R&R and I picked up the night before.  That's the downside of Black Friday bargain hunting - you really can't try anything on since the fitting room lines are insane, so you sort of have to guess what will work for you and be willing to make another trip to return your rejects, but the deals usually make this worth while.  I ended up keeping 2 pairs of jeans, 1 pair of dress pants (which will need to be hemmed), 1 sweater, 1 sweater dress, 1 hoodie, 1 pair of boots (which I was able to try on in the store), 1 hoodie, and 1 wristlet purse. Not a bad haul!

They're flat...and they were 60% off!

Next up was the Pump Extreme workout I neglected to do on Thursday.  I shocked myself by increasing my weights on the squat track to 10 lbs on either side of the barbell and I did a few more push ups on my toes!  I know I was a little iffy about this workout after the first time I did it, but it's definitely growing on me - even though the shoulder track which makes me feel like firecrackers are exploding in my arms!  After the workout I took a quick shower, pinned up my hair, and planted myself face down on my massage therapist's table. There were no massive trigger points in my back this time, but there were still enough to keep him busy for an hour!

Day 62: Now I Remember...
Now I remember why I never get manicures/pedicures...they take too damn long! This upcoming vacation/black tie wedding had me looking at my feet with disgust, so I decided to make an appointment for a manicure/pedicure at a little place up the street from my house in hopes of not having to display Wisconsin Winter Feet on the beach.  I arrived at the appointed time (11am) and immediately felt like I had stepped into a time warp back to the mid-90's. That plus the fact that they basically ignored me until almost 11:30am made me seriously consider walking out, but there's no way I was going to get an appointment anywhere else in time, so I sucked it up and stuck around.  The nail tech, when she finally appeared, was really nice.  She suggested I get a shellac manicure since the polish is supposed to last 14 days - even if you wash dishes, clean, etc.  This sounded like a good idea to me. I was going to get a shellac pedicure as well (since sand is murder on nail polish), but they don't have the required curing lights for feet.  Oh well...she matched the colors pretty well, so it all worked out.  Long story short (too late) I was there for almost 3 freakin' hours! Not exactly how I'd planned to spend most of my Saturday!  I'll definitely be going somewhere else to get the shellac removed when it's time.  Although the nail tech was nice enough, I didn't really like the feel of the place, but at least my hands/feet are dress ready!

Let's see if this shellac stuff is all it's cracked up to be

After a sufficient amount of laying around and consuming the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers, I hit The Cave for HardCore Abs and Flow. By the time I was done, my abs were yelling, but the rest of me felt pretty good.

Day 63: What the What?
For the first time in 63 days, I missed a workout. Damn it!  It was just one of those days...running around like a crazy person, getting stuff done, totally failing to build in Cave Time...the next thing I knew it was midnight and I was falling into bed.  It was bound to happen eventually, but I can't say that knowing I missed a day makes me happy.  On a positive note, I think for the first time in a long time, all my laundry is done, everything is ironed, and all my clothes/shoes are put away.  On to the next week!

Raise The Bar: 60 Days

The 30 Day results of this challenge blew my mind.  I figured I'd see a few little changes, but nothing as dramatic as what I actually got. The numeric changes are a bit smaller than the 30 day changes, but I think the changes are still noticeable - especially in my shoulders and back.  It feels like days 31-60 was more about sculpting and defining the muscles that were built in the first 30 days.  So, without further ado...here's what changed and what those changes look like.

I certainly feel like the muscles in my back and shoulders are the most noticeable difference - and I like them a lot.  I've always wanted toned and well-defined arms/shoulders and it seems like I'm finally on the way to having them.  I think the final 30 days of this program is going to be about even more fine-tuning, but I guess we'll see...this program seems to have a habit of surprising me (in a good way).  I know how far I've come, but now I want to see how far I can get!

Day 0 /Day 30/ Day 60

Bring on the last 30 days!

Cookies and Cuties

Whoa...that 60 day milestone is coming up fast!  Time to put my head down, work hard, eat clean, and hope it's enough to produce the results I'm looking for.

Day 50: Raise. The. Bar.
Today was a mini-milestone in this challenge. I've been doing this for 50 days! I "celebrated" by attacking yet another new workout: Pump Extreme.  This 55 minute workout was loaded with all the same goodies as Pump Revolution, but there were more sets, and it was much faster paced. Funny enough, the soundtrack for the bicep track was Pink's "Raise Your Glass" and the instructor changed the lyrics to 'Raise The Bar'.  I found it amusing and totally appropriate.
By the time I was done, I was creeping up the basement stairs like an old lady - an old lady in search of dinner because I. Was. Starving.  Mr. R&R was working late tonight, so I was on my own for dinner. Whenever it's just me, I get lazy about cooking.  I wanted food and I wanted it fast, so I threw together this little concoction:

1 Egg, 2 Egg Whites, 1/4 cup Low-Fat cheese, 2 Tbsp Hot Salsa, Whole Grain Tortilla

I rolled the whole thing up and added a few strawberries as a sweet contrast to the spicy salsa... and voila! Dinner in under 10 minutes.

Day 51: Grrrrr.
I really wanted to run today, but by the time I got home from work it was pitch black outside (no surprise there since it gets dark by 4:30pm these days) and it was freezing cold - and not just cold - damp cold.  The kind of cold that seeps through your coat and a wool sweater and chills you to the bone no matter how many layers you're wearing.  I really need to stop being such a wimp and just get out there and run. Instead I hit the trainer for just over 30 minutes and followed it with Hard Core Abs.

Day 52: In Which I Bake
It's been quite a while since I baked anything other than my No Bull$#!# Banana Bread, so after tonight's Pump and Shred workout and wolfing down dinner, I hit the kitchen to make a batch of Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. I've made these cookies before, but it's been a while, and since I'm planning on bringing them to a holiday get together on Friday night, I felt that a test run was necessary, and I know that my office mates don't mind being my guinea pigs!

I originally stumbled on this recipe about a year and a half ago over on Peanut Butter Runner and it quickly became one of my 'go to' cookie recipes since a) they're ridiculously easy to make and b) a number of people in my life either have issues with gluten intolerance or have chosen to avoid gluten for other reasons.  It's nice to be able to provide a sweet treat that everyone can enjoy.  These little guys could probably even be adapted for vegans or those with egg allergies by using a flax or chia egg and carob chips (although I haven't tried this).  The only modifications I've made to the original recipe is to use mini chocolate chips instead of regular-sized ones as I've found they mix into the dough better and I don't dust the tops with salt since I think that the peanut butter is salty enough on its own. Also, I roll the dough into a tight ball before I put it on the cookie sheet and sort of tuck the edges back in after doing the criss-cross with a fork. They're already kind of crumbly since there's no flour in there to bind everything together, so I've found that tucking the edges back in helps minimize the crumbs!

You Know You Want One!

Day 53: Mane Wrangler To The Rescue
I think I may have mentioned it before, but I am really not good at some of the "girly" things in life. For example: I think I've painted my fingernails exactly once in the last 24 months. Why? Because I suck at painting them, I beat the crap out of my hands (dishes don't wash themselves) on a regular basis, and I have exactly zero patience for sitting still and doing nothing while they dry.  I'm also 110% hopeless when it comes to styling my hair. Seriously. I can't even blow it out and flat iron it.  99% of the time my hair is swept back in a messy ponytail and on the rare occasions when I leave it down, it's kind of a mess!  This means that the upcoming black tie wedding presents some unique challenges since I need to do something kind of fabulous with my hair (since evening gown + messy ponytail doesn't really work) and I have to be able to do it myself...in a reasonable amount of time, with limited tools, and in an extremely humid climate.  Fortunately my Mane Wrangler, K, was willing to work with me to solve this problem. I arrived at her studio at 7:30pm (bearing some of those flourless cookies since K recently went gluten free) and by 9:00pm I was fairly confident that I'm not completely screwed.  Of course it always looks easier when a pro does it, but I'm going to keep practicing and hope for the best. Now I just need to get out and purchase some of the recommended "tools" for this job and hope I don't drive myself nuts.

Day 54: A Lovely Afternoon
I still have a few vacation days to use up before the end of the year, so I took Friday afternoon off with the intention of getting a few errands done, hitting the pool, and stopping by to see Little Sis and Tiny Nephew.  I did exactly one of those things. I ended up spending the entire afternoon with Little Sis and Tiny Nephew!  It's hard to believe how much he's changed (namely being awake and alert more often) in just two short weeks. I found it extra sweet when he fell asleep in my arms and let his mommy and auntie spend time together.  And of course no visit to Little Sis would be complete without snuggles from my favorite "Fur Nephew"!

Mason!

I made it home from my visit with just enough time to cram in Hard Core Abs and Flow before I rushed off to an appointment - still wearing my yoga pants!  That appointment was followed by a nice, quiet night at home with Mr. R&R and the bunnies since the holiday party I was supposed to attend was cancelled when the hostess was diagnosed with pneumonia.

Day 55: Lunges Still Suck
I'm kind of learning to love the Pump Extreme workout - except for the lunge track.  I'm getting better at them and they hurt less than they used to, but they still hurt and I hate them. I also discovered that I'm probably going to need to think about increasing my weights for the squat track soon since my legs aren't screaming loud enough anymore when I do them.

Day 56: Calorie Bomb and Chicken Parmesan
Is it just me, or does the time between 5pm on Friday and 10pm on Sunday seem to move twice as fast as it does during the week? Today was filled with errands, laundry, workouts, food prep for the next few days, and a whole bunch of bunny-cuteness!  I know they're always cute, but Walter was just insanely adorable today.

Silly Rabbit...Coffee Is For People!

While Mr. R&R and I were out running errands this afternoon we stopped by our favorite coffee house for a little mid-afternoon pick me up.  Normally I avoid coffee drinks like the plague because I a) prefer my coffee black and b) I don't like to drink my calories, but their seasonal Spicy Mocha caught my eye and after confirming that there was a light option available, I went for it.  It was delicious, but it turns out that even though I had it made with skim milk and passed on the whipped cream, that medium "light" Spicy Mocha packed a caloric/fat wallop like you wouldn't believe  It contained 430 calories and 16 grams of fat!  Talk about an unexpected calorie bomb.  There's nothing wrong with a treat now and again, but that was a little more of a treat than I had in mind.

Fortunately tonight's dinner, Chicken Parmesan, was one of those meals that seems indulgent, but really isn't bad for you at all.  It's a bit messy to make, but it's definitely worth the mess. 

If you want to make it for yourself, here's how:

The Stuff:
(makes 2 servings/approx. 335 calories per serving)

• 8oz boneless, skinless chicken breast (split into to 4oz pieces)
• 1/2 cup marinara/spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2oz whole wheat linguine
• Assorted spices (garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, etc.)
• non-stick cooking spray

 The Process:
Start by turning your oven's broiler setting on low and setting a pot of water on the stove to boil.  Then heat a saute pan over medium high heat.  When the pan is hot, coat it with non-stick cooking spray, toss the chicken in and season liberally.

Let the chicken cook about half way through before flipping it over to sear the other side.  Try not to move it around too much between flips.

Your pan will look a little gross, but trust me...it'll be fine.  Once you've flipped your chicken, your pasta water should be ready, so toss in the pasta and cook according to your taste/package directions.  Mine took about 12 minutes to reach the desired texture.  If your chicken is cooked through before the pasta is done, just turn off the heat and let it rest.

Spray a couple of oven-proof bowls with a little cooking spray and divide the pasta evenly between them.  Top each pasta pile with a piece of chicken.

Pour 1/4 cup of  marinara/spaghetti sauce evenly over each piece of chicken and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of low-fat shredded mozzarella.

Pop the bowls under the broiler and watch them carefully (unless you like charred cheese) until the cheese starts to brown and the sauce starts to bubble.  Yank 'em out of the oven and set the hot bowls on a smaller plate so you don't scorch your hands or your table top and you're ready to eat!

What's your favorite meal to make when you have a little extra time on your hands?

Obsessed With A Dress

Another week down in the Raise The Bar Challenge.  Yet somehow, my primary focus wasn't my workouts. I spent the last 7 days obsessed with evening gowns - which is not at all normal for me.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy dressing up a little and going out, but the last time I wore a floor-length dress (other than my wedding) was my high school prom!

Day 43: Pay No Attention To The Basket Case In The Mirror
Sooo...remember when I mentioned that upcoming beach vacation? The real reason behind that trip is to attend a wedding - which turns out is a black tie event. Cue: Me scrambling to find a dress that a) fits b) looks good on me c) is age appropriate and d) will travel well.  Mr. R&R and I hit the mall...for what would turn out to be a total bust.  It seems that my only options were to look like someone's grandmother or to look like I was desperately trying to be 16 again.  I even cried!  Fortunately there's the wonders of the internet and after another good cry, I placed a few orders and two dresses are on their way to me.  Hopefully something works out!

Day 44: I Don't Wanna, But I'm Gonna
I went back to work after four days off...predictably, my mind and body wanted to still be on vacation.  After work I hit The Cave for 30 minutes of Pump and Burn followed by Hard Core Abs.  After the Pump and Burn abs track, I struggled to get through Hard Core Abs.

Day 45: Half Way There!
Today marked the half way point in my Raise The Bar challenge.  I can't believe I've been doing this for 45 days and that I'm actually looking forward to seeing where the next 45 days take me.  I've been feeling stronger and leaner every day.  Tonight's workout was a new one for me: Pump Revolution.  It was a 55 minute suffer-fest. There were squats, lunges, chest presses, clean and presses, more dead rows than I could count, a shoulder track, a tricep track, a bicep track, and of course...an ab track. Oh, and one of my two possible dresses arrived today...and it fit like a glove (except for needing the hem taken up, which I knew going in since I'm ridiculously short)!

(source)

Day 46: Hurry Up and Wait
Why is it that when you need something in a hurry it always takes forever? Case in point: My second dress hasn't arrived yet, but I have an appointment with a seamstress on Saturday morning - the last possible date I can take a dress in and still have it ready in time.  After a few phone calls and way too much time sitting on hold I discovered that Dress #2 is due to be delivered tomorrow afternoon, but still...I just want it to get here already!  I hate not knowing what I'm going to be wearing.  It's making it difficult to figure out what kind of jewelry, etc. I need to find.  In the mean time, I did another Hard Core Abs workout - which hurt like a beast after surviving the Pump Revolution ab track from the night before.

Day 47: Indecisive
As promised, dress #2 arrived on my door step today.  I ripped open the package, tried it on, and still couldn't decide which one I liked better, so since Mr. R&R was out for the night, I did what any sensible girl would do: I packed up both dresses and the shoes (which I'd decided on a while ago) and made a beeline for my mom's house!  45 minutes later I was on my way home with Mom voting for dress #2.  For the record, I think her bird also voted for dress #2 based on all the excited little peeping noises she made, but she may have just liked all the sparkly stuff around the neck! :)

(source)

I made my way home and down to The Cave for 45 minutes of Pump and Shred.  I was convinced that my arms were going to fall off by the end of the shoulder track after 2 days (Pump Revolution and Hard Core Abs) of walking hovers.  I'm pleased to say that my arms remained attached and allowed me to make myself dinner and a berry protein milkshake while I waited for Mr. R&R to come home and give me his opinion on which dress to keep.

Day 48: Ow!
I woke up this morning and the first word out of my mouth was "Ow!" My arms, particularly my biceps, were so sore that it hurt to move my arms. The soreness made doing every day tasks rather interesting.  I guess you never realize how much you use your arms until it hurts to move them!  It certainly made putting on my dress (I ended up keeping Dress #2 after both Mom and Mr. R&R weighed in) at the seamstress' interesting. 

Fortunately as the day wore on, the soreness subsided enough for me to do the prescribed HardCore Abs and Flow workouts.  Of course that brought back the soreness (damn walking hovers), so Mr. R&R and I enjoyed a little indulgence of cheese and wine to go with my whining. 

Day 49: Mother Nature Needs A Calendar
I woke up with a little bit of a wine headache (totally my own fault) this morning, but that was quickly pushed aside when I heard the tornado warning sirens going off! Tornado season usually runs from late spring to late summer around here, so hearing those sirens in the middle of November confused me a little.  One quick peek at the Weather Channel later found Mr. R&R and I putting Walter & Spot into their carrier and heading for The Cave.  All told, we were in the basement for about 30 minutes and fortunately the storm swung out over Lake Michigan and missed us entirely.  Walter seemed to enjoy the field trip to The Cave since he spent the majority of the time scooting between us and checking out this strange, new environment.  Spot, on the other hand, came out of the carrier for about 5 minutes before ducking back into it and refusing to come out until we were back upstairs.  What can I say? He's not a fan of change!

We want to rename this place "The Bun Cave"

 I had originally planned to spend some time at The Track today since I haven't been running much and a bunch of my friends from the tri team were talking about making an appearance there, but the rather ominous forecast (tornado warning in the morning, tornado watch for the rest of the day, severe thunderstorms all day) made it seem like a bad idea to be away from home, so I settled for some time on the trainer instead.  I really need to start running more often. It's actually my favorite form of exercise once I'm out the door.  The problem seems to be getting out the damn door!  Hopefully I can remedy that problem soon.

Has the weather been unseasonably weird where you are?  What's your favorite way to motivate yourself on cold, rainy days?

Every Day Is Abs Day

I think this sums up the last 7 days..oh...and OUCH!

Okay, not every day is abs day, but it sure feels like it this week!

Day 29: Pump and Shred
This week began with a sneak peek of what I'll be facing in Phase 2 of this challenge.  Pump and Shred is a 45 minute workout that features squats, lunges, lots of dead rows, clean and presses, a shoulder track, and an ab track that left me whimpering on the floor of The Cave.  Getting good at this one is definitely going to take some work!

Day 30: Hit the Floor
My abs were already sore from Monday's workout, but I dragged myself down to The Cave and did the prescribed workout. I normally don't grunt and groan out loud during workouts, but tonight was an exception. I had to keep reminding myself that the results of this challenge are 100% worth the pain.

Day 31: Feel the Burn
Another day. Another workout (Pump and Burn). Another ab track. I usually crack a smile during this one because of the soundtrack - not tonight.

They're the keys to my success...but tonight they felt like torture.

Day 32: I SURVIVED!!!
Hell Month at work officially ended at 4:30pm today...and I'm still alive and sane! I usually celebrate the end of this annual torture by making a beeline to my favorite bar and chugging multiple beers.  This year was different. I came home, hit The Cave for another round of Hard Core Abs followed by a 20 minute flow workout, and then handed out candy to the few brave kids who came around trick or treating (it started pouring rain about 30 minutes after trick or treat started).  My favorite costumes were a little lion and a tiny pink dragon. For some reason, toddlers in costumes seem extra adorable to me.

Day 33: You're Really Going To Need To Breathe Through This
Finally a Rest Day!!!! I know...last time I had a full out rest day I was twitching. Tonight I was more than content to be face down on my massage therapist's table for an hour instead of working out.  My back and shoulders usually have a lot of tight spots, but tonight was just silly! At one point my massage therapist paused and said, "You're really going to need to breathe through this." before digging his elbow into a massive trigger point in the back of my right shoulder. Holy $#!* that hurt...in a good way. I could actually feel the muscles twitching as he released them! I was a little more prepared when the process was repeated on my left side. I'm almost afraid of what he'll find in my back next month!

After our massages, Mr. R&R and I stopped at the awesome wine shop next door to the massage place.  We chatted with the owner for a few minutes about what we liked, what our price point was, and were quickly directed to a Chardonnay from Napa Valley that he swore was amazing. The wine guy even admitted that he'd never heard of this particular winery before, but fell madly in love with this incredibly inexpensive ($20) wine when he tried it in their tasting room.  Of course we bought it - and a bottle of white Bordeaux that he'd recommended last year when we got back from France.  We swung by Trader Joe's on the way home for some prosciutto, brie, gouda, and crackers and we were all set for an awesome night of celebrating our first 30 Days and the end of Hell Month.  I think the wine and cheese tasted even better after not having had them in so long!

Day 34: That Wasn't Smart, But It Was Worth It
I woke up Saturday morning with my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth and feeling like a heavy, bloated mess.  I guess that's what happens when you eat a bunch of cured meat, rich cheese, salty crackers, and drink 3/4 of a bottle of wine after abstaining from those things for a month.  I don't care. It was delicious...and totally worth it.

I had initially planned on hitting the pool before tackling another Pump and Shred workout, but the thought of swimming while mildly hungover made my stomach heave, so that was out.  Pump and Shred was tough enough!  The lunge track sucked (yep, still hate lunges with a passion)

Day 35: 
Mr. R&R and I hit the trails again today - this time tackling the 6 mile long (3 miles out/3 miles back) Monches Segment of the Ice Age Trail.  Although this section of trail is really close to our home, we'd never been there before.  We're used to hiking in the Southern Kettle Moraine (which is pretty hilly) so we were pleasantly surprised that the trail was both beautiful and relatively flat!  On a somewhat related note, I finally updated our hiking blog (with last week's hike)!

Monches Segment

And of course my day wouldn't have been complete without an ab workout. Hard Core Abs is tough enough, but it's even tougher when you've already done 2 hours of physical activity!

Phase 2 of the Raise The Bar Challenge begins tomorrow morning - hopefully it's not all abs all the time!