Ah, Glory Days!!

So training with those tennis kids was way more fun and way more challenging than I expected!! The plyometric portion was great, I had enough wind to yell some form correcting cues to the group as I was gracefully jumping myself into the anaerobic zone..LOL. The sprints? YIKES! I haven't actually done any sprinting since I sustained a stress fracture in my femur (July 2009). So why did I think I would be able to hang with 40 of the best teenage tennis athletes in the area? I think it goes back to why the bumble bee can fly--he may not be aerodynamically designed, but he doesn't know that so he just does it! I don't really know I'm 32 years old and have three kids and I'm not a college athlete anymore...so I just did it. I am paying for it today, but it was definitely worth it for two reasons:

#2. I am motivated and thrilled to add a sprint workout to my training routine (it's like reuniting with a long lost love...)

#1. The breakdown of some teenage "I'm too cool to show vulnerability" barriers was astonishing! Those kids are all really great kids and they are always personable with me, but last night I had SEVEN kids separately talk to me about their own personal fitness goals and if I would be willing to help them. All because they watched me suck wind after an 8minute session of intense sprinting!! I'm excited and feel incredibly lucky to watch these people attain their respective goals through their own hard work and dedication.

OH! Almost forgot...p90x protein bars (great to have if you can't be home to make a healthy meal) and p90x results and recovery drink (my absolute FAVORITE recovery drink) are on CLEARANCE!!! You can find them here: https://extranet.securefreedom.com/MillionDollarBody/csShopping/ShoppingCart.asp?Cat=Clearance|ALL

Fitness Fuel matters!!!

This is week one of my hormone training...sounds creepy, right?? ha ha! It's just another term for lactic acid training...high intensity training (or HITT), anaerobic training, yadda-yadda-yadda. The point is to push your muscles HARD to their limit, which results in lactic acid build-up--once your body starts it recovery process (eliminating the acid and repairing the muscle fibers) your body is turned into a fat burning machine. Diet is key for this type of training--I need 40% protein, 40% carb (from whole grains and/or fruits and veggies), and 20% fats an hour and half before my workout, and a protein recovery drink within 30minutes of finishing the workout. The pre-workout meal is important so I have the fuel to rev my engines LOL, and I can't have high fat or that will interfere with the lactic acid build up. My post workout recovery drink nourishes my poor twitching, spent muscles and helps them to recover. I use p90x smooth orange which you can buy here:https://extranet.securefreedom.com/MillionDollarBody/csShopping/ShoppingCart.asp?Cat=Nutrition%20and%20Supplements|P90X%20%20Nutrition

Monday was chest and triceps (for cardio I did the stepper for an hour), Tuesday was legs (for cardio I ran), yesterday was my rest day (only taught two classes LOL) and today I am going to lift shoulders and abs.

Shoulder workout: each exercise I'm doing 8-15reps 5-8 sets with only 15seconds of rest between sets

barbel overhead press

lateral raise with dumbells

alternating frontal raise with dumbells

upright row with barbell

Ab workout: side bends on the back hyper-extension machine (to failure*)

decline sit-ups 5 sets of 10-15 reps

hanging straight leg raises 5 sets of 10

*to failure means I do it until I can not possibly do another one with proper form

No mind clearing, stress burning, solo cardio workout for me today as I'm training my tennis kiddos (group of about 30-45 teenage athletes). Last week they complained that I always tell them what to do and I never do the workouts myself. I promised I'd workout with them this week. Little do they know that the 30seconds of plyometrics with 30seconds recovery that kicks their butts every week is a cake walk for me. If they want to workout with me, they will be doing a workout suited for me: 1minute of work, 20seconds of rest! That should learn 'em!! I hope they drank their shakeology smoothie today!! ha ha!!

Happy Friday Eve!!

Yay! Thursday is here!! After a day or so of thinking Gabe was just being dramatic, I am convinced his little foot really is hurting him, his cut is probably infected and we are going to see if the doctor agrees. Poor little man. He is always so tough. Just yesterday I bonked his head while settling him into his car seat.

"yikes! I'm sorry buddy!!" unfazed he took his little pruned thumb out of his mouth to say,

"no worries, Mom. My hair was actually already messed up." ha ha!!

"I meant sorry for hitting your head on the van, not for messing up your hair."

Bored with the whole conversation he shook his head and said, "don't you know I'm tough like Buzz Lightyear Mom? I didn't even feel it."

So after dropping Eliza off at school we will be heading to the doctors instead of the gym so I get to put on real people clothes!! Not that I don't love my gym clothes, but I've been dying to wear my new purple sweater from Boden!! Upon awakening to see me in a sweater Ava's face lit up, "Mom I love the feather petals on your shirt! You look beautiful! Are you going on a date?"

Yeah, Dad is out of town and I have a date...

"No Ava we're taking Gabe to the doctors."

Gabe immediately shot up from playing with his monster trucks, "what did you said!?"

"I think the cut on your foot is infected. We are going to have the doctor look at you and see if you need medicine."

He thought about this for at least ten seconds, "are you going to at least take me to old McDonald's afterwards for a treat or something?" nice try...

"no, buddy. We are going to head to the gym after." disappointed and confused he shook his head and said,

"so Mom, you are going to exercise in a sweater with petals and stuff??"

"no. We'll come home after the doctors and I'll change." I said, doubting the efficiency of my plan for the day.

"but that doesn't even make sense..you can even wear gym clothes to the doctors you know." Trying to get my husband to understand why living in gym sweats as a Mom is horrible for my self image is hard enough, I don't even want to try explaining this to a 4 year-old boy.

"just go with it, Buzz."

New Year's Gym Tourists!!

*picture of me in our new activity guide...just a regular Saturday for me, a soldier in the fight against childhood obesity..ha ha ha!!!*

Childcare was FULL this morning at the gym...that is when I KNOW it's January! Us gym rats know that we only have to wait until March before they all give up so we wait it out and complain to each other.

Not quite the first day of school...

Add another reason to my list of "why I'm NOT the perfect Mom." I have no photos of Elizabeth's first day of kindergarten. None. We didn't even make it to school on time. She was late. Sometimes I feel like apologizing to her, "I'm SO sorry you have me for a Mom!" Despite the numerous times my own incompetence has unfolded at her expense, she adores me. She tells me I'm the best Mama in the whole world with a strong squeezey-hug. And she means it!

So back to the first day of school SNAFU. It wasn't JUST the first day of school. It was my first day at work as a personal trainer. It was Erik's first day out of the country on some big project for work. It was also the first day of Gabe's vomiting and the first day Ava had diarrhea; the first day I had sobbed in a long time.

So the crumbled up, coffee-stained paper with all the kindergarten info on it said drop off was between 11:45 and noon. After pulling up to the school at 11:45 and seeing a deserted ghost town the familiar self-doubt creeped in. I actually drove around the school a bit before parking and going in. I carried the two stinky-sick-kids and had that "I was up all night with both of them" look in my eyes. We rang the school's doorbell and they let us in. I'm certain my genuine confusion and self doubt was obvious as I said/asked, "I'm here to drop Elizabeth off for kindergarten. My understanding is that drop-off is between 11:45 and noon?" Why do I always feel more like a student and less like an adult when inside a Catholic elementary school? The office lady did not make eye contact and said "that was my understanding too but it has somehow been changed to 11:30-11:45." Mild panic mixed with extreme annoyance crept in. So it wasn't totally my fault if even the office lady thought drop off time was later. Who changed it and how did all the other moms know? Where is this kindergarten classroom? I calmed myself down for Eliza's sake and cheerfully walked her to the classroom. She was very nervous walking in and I was so sad I had messed things up for her very first day. I kissed her briefly and said "I'll see you in a little while! Have fun!" and she shot me a frantic "DON'T LEAVE ME!" look with those extremely expressive eyes of hers. I kept that lump in my throat under control as I walked out of the door and towards the exit sign. This isn't how the first day of kindergarten is supposed to go! This is not what she was expecting. I had the camera in my purse. How could I have messed it up so horribly? My thoughts were interrupted by a scratchy little voice on my shoulder "Mama, why is Eliza so scared?" Even Ava could see how the rushed good-bye threw our sensitive Eliza for a loop. "Sometimes it's hard to begin something new." And my thoughts went back to when Eliza made me a new Mom. When I was scared I wasn't good enough to be somebody's Mom. Then I remembered how it felt to hold that warm baby girl for the first time. When she was finally placed in my arms her crying stopped and she nestled in and began to nurse. I cried because she was so perfect, I loved her beyond my hearts capacity, and I finally trusted God's confidence in me. I may not be perfect, but I am hers and she loves me.

But again (and again, and again, and again!)...I am SO, SO sorry I made you late for your very first day!!! UGH!!!

The Family Trip

I am fortunate enough to be the aerobics instructor for a class called "Silver Sensations." It's an exercise class for energetics over the age of 55. The first time I taught them I absolutely hated it. I actually went home and cried. I made my playlist of oldies and planned out a great routine. I wasn't prepared to have 42 (!) people come to the class! A handfull of the participants looked as if they could go run 4 or 5 miles and another handfull were with walkers and on oxygen. Talk about overwhelmed! My nerves were definitely frazzled and within the first 5 minutes I was called down to childcare because my baby had a poop that needed changing. They were not understanding and I got more and more nervous. By the time "Great Balls of Fire" came on I was almost in tears. That was not fun.

Fortunately, I've gotten used to the class and they've gotten used to me. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that we have fallen in love with each other. They bring me in zucchinis from their gardens; I teach them the bachata. They bring in some healthy, cost-friendly recipes; I take them through gentle but rejuvinating stretches (that are osteoporosis safe, of course). A few of them watch their grandchildren once a week and we'll get together for playdates. It's been great for lonely old me...and the spark in their eyes when they see me tells me it's been good for them too. So they were sad when I told them that I have gotten a sub for the class for two weeks. I'm going on vacation. While driving 17hours with three kids (and no husband) might not be what pops into mind when you say "vacation" that's what it is. We're going to visit my family for my parents 50th wedding anniversary. One woman frowned and said "you're not bringing your dog are you?" and she was happy to hear I wasn't. Another woman said "oh dearie, I hope you have a cordless cellular to take with you." And she was happy to hear I did. They are all excited for me to see my family and nervous for me to do the drive myself. Me? I feel just the opposite. The driving is the easy part.

It has been ten months since we've seen my parents...and brothers, and sisters, and nieces, and nephews, and friends. Did I mention I am the youngest of eleven? And of course now that we are all grown it is no longer "just" eleven. Nine of us are married, so that brings it up to 20...add in the 20 (+) offspring and you have 40...my parents are another 2. Suffices to say that no visit is long enough and to say it is emotionally difficult on me would only be scratching the surface. I refuse to accept the role as "that relative" who lives far away and you see once a year; but that is exactly who I am in the family now. Every time I visit, the family dynamics have changed a bit. I see how my sisters are second-mothers to each others' children and I realize that I don't know what that's like. While I am an exciting novelty to the littlest kids, I am not part of their enormous security blanket of aunts. And my own children need a day or two to warm up to the crowd of loud-talkers with this funny Boston accent who are sizing them up "she looks like so-and-so" and "her hair isn't like it looks in pictures!"

I do thank God every night for being blessed with a spot in this amazingly warm and loving (and LARGE) family, but I can't keep the sadness from swelling up in my throat when I have to go back to our life in a part of the country that my family will most-likely never see. As difficult as it is for me to only see everyone in a rushed, cranky, tired visit once a year, I am dreading the day my kids are older and less portable. The day when there are years between visits instead of months.

So I guess the 17hr drive may prove to be quite challenging, but I'm certain it won't be as difficult as adjusting and accepting this "distant relative" role I've found myself in.

There's No Place Like Home

Last night I thought about our weather writing assignment as I was driving home after being held hostage in a tornado shelter at my gym for an hour and a half. The thick, humid rain, compounded with the incessant sting of lightning coming from all angles is not something you can fully realize until you have to "brave" it as you run out to your car. I think saying I "braved" it is a little misleading. I "coward" it...or "cowarded" it. While I was 40% certain I wouldn't get hit by lightning I was by no means relaxed in the situation. I wasn't with my kids! All Moms know that mothers know (and do) best, so the thought of a tornado possibly touching down when my babies aren't under my care and protection was more than unnerving. As I pulled into the driveway my husband greeted me at the garage door. I was so relieved to be back home, and it was obvious in his face that he was just as relieved to have me safe and sound with him. The kids were filled with the kind of jittery-excitement that is reserved for toddlers only. They were excited about two things:

1. they were allowed to stay up past their bedtime

2. Gabe muttered a few audible words resembling the "Our Father" with his hands in perfect prayer-postition.

I was blessed with several things last night: safety from the storm (other areas were not so lucky), healthy, happy children snug and safe in their jammies when I got home, a husband who understands the importance of Faith, and the opportunity to watch the little mustard seeds sprouting before my eyes...to name a few!