I've been thinking this for a few days at the back of my mind, but today it really came crashing home as we now only have 7 days left......... What am I going to do without Patrick's daily e-mail?????!!!!!! Every day some nugget of wisdom.
Also been thinking about my body. Feeling good, albeit exhausted. Arms and upper body looking good, but need to work on the old thighs and genetics don't favour a six pack, but will still attempt to get at least partway there as I aim to eliminate the soft doughy abs. I can actually feel some muscles in there which for me is a HUGE step forward. Just that there is also still a large layer of fat there. I know that I am not alone in this. The next 7 days currently seem longer than the 90 days when I started. But at the same time those 7 days will just whizz by. I realise that my journey has only just begun as now I have to embark on the next stage without my daily e-mail or blogs. I know it hasn't been the same for everyone, but the blogs have really, really helped me and without them I doubt that I would have made it this far.
Sunday, 21 August 2011
Saturday, 20 August 2011
Day 82: Feeling good
Feeling good, but very, very, very tired. Slept well last night, however woke up exhausted still. Skipping in the light rain and almost autumn like temperatures was nice. Strange how the weather has cooled off so suddenly. Is summer over? Exercises extremely difficult, but that is par for the course at the moment and likely to ramp up even more in the next 8 days I suspect.
Day 81: New awakenings with budding awareness
In a bid towards a new approach to skipping, I have dispensed with my iPod both yesterday and today. It is amazing how 21 minutes actually whizzes past when you are concentrating on the sounds of the cicadas, the traffic in the background and in the foreground the whizzing sound of the rope. Skipping skills were actually a notable improvement. Lots of trips still, but less, and increased rotations. Also an increased sense of peace. I do still catch myself "thinking" too much, but then shift focus to the middle distance and make myself think of "nothing".
One interruption in this semi state of mindlessness however was one of our cats who ran across the road with a sparrow in her mouth whilst I was skipping. This was the second sparrow she had landed today. My youngest daughter managed to save said sparrow and lovingly took it inside to minister to its hurt wing and see if it was OK. I just happened to be near the house when this operation was occurring and was able to stop. Once the rescue had been achieved I went off around the block to complete the skip. As I was returning home daughter No. 2 comes storming out of the house in a complete tizz......... her sister had let the bird go and she wasn't ready to release it yet. Off she stomps into the neighbourhood (as I find out later, to find the bird). She's only 9, so when she didn't come back after I had set up all my equipment for exercising, I ran around the neighbourhood for quite a while looking for her. Voila, extra cardio. Finally found her and all well, except no bird. Probably some other cat's dinner.
Exercises went smoothly, or so I thought. Apparently I was making a lot of noise counting. Nothing untoward though and no distractions other than very quick failure on all shoulder exercises.
I do keep thinking that although rationally I know we are revving up the number of movements and the number of sets, emotionally I still find it difficult to accept that I cannot always do them all. Surely I should be getting better at them, not worse. And surely I shouldn't be waking up every morning exhausted, even with lots of sleep. I can however see that there has been a marked positive difference in the week since we returned from Bali. Losing a little bit of weight daily, but hoping that is not muscle and it is fat melting off my body.
One interruption in this semi state of mindlessness however was one of our cats who ran across the road with a sparrow in her mouth whilst I was skipping. This was the second sparrow she had landed today. My youngest daughter managed to save said sparrow and lovingly took it inside to minister to its hurt wing and see if it was OK. I just happened to be near the house when this operation was occurring and was able to stop. Once the rescue had been achieved I went off around the block to complete the skip. As I was returning home daughter No. 2 comes storming out of the house in a complete tizz......... her sister had let the bird go and she wasn't ready to release it yet. Off she stomps into the neighbourhood (as I find out later, to find the bird). She's only 9, so when she didn't come back after I had set up all my equipment for exercising, I ran around the neighbourhood for quite a while looking for her. Voila, extra cardio. Finally found her and all well, except no bird. Probably some other cat's dinner.
Exercises went smoothly, or so I thought. Apparently I was making a lot of noise counting. Nothing untoward though and no distractions other than very quick failure on all shoulder exercises.
I do keep thinking that although rationally I know we are revving up the number of movements and the number of sets, emotionally I still find it difficult to accept that I cannot always do them all. Surely I should be getting better at them, not worse. And surely I shouldn't be waking up every morning exhausted, even with lots of sleep. I can however see that there has been a marked positive difference in the week since we returned from Bali. Losing a little bit of weight daily, but hoping that is not muscle and it is fat melting off my body.
Friday, 19 August 2011
Day 80: Definitely half the pain once it is shared
The details of our non-gym workout you can see on Tracey's blog. She has the most adorable little boy who despite having a fever was absolutely amazing and so very adorable. A mini-Tracey. I got quite a few cuddles and distracting him whilst doing the bicycles made it the most pleasant bicycles that I have ever done. Looking at a little baby climbing up the stairs waving a piece of cloth whilst you do your reps makes it all the more easy as you forget that you are doing reps--sort of. Tricep dips felled me long before Tracey. It was amazing to see Tracey in action. Very, very admiring fan you have here.
Thank you so much for a lovely lunch, a fabulous chat, wonderful company and a workout that really was a lot easier for being shared.
Because of the rain, our change in schedule and therefore no chance to use the outside pool, I am not sure that a marathon run through a home centre, IKEA and Costco suffices as extra cardio. It felt like it thugh. Only just completed my skips followed swiftly by 8MA. Could just as easily have not done the skipping but felt it crucial that I stick to my plan of really rocking for the rest of the programme. Am visualising sleek abs. Am beginning to believe that with time I can achieve this.
Do however need a lot more practice at emptying my mind whilst skipping had to keep correcting tendency to think about things, look at the ground, not look in the distance, wish I wasn't there etc., etc. However as I just realised, I feel SOOOOOO much better for having skipped, for having tripped just a little less, for increasing marginally my number of rotations. It does of course help that the temperature in Tokyo has dropped by between 10-15 degrees since yesterday. In fact it dropped 10 degrees between leaving home and meeting Tracey (and no, she does not live on a high mountain).
Thank you so much for a lovely lunch, a fabulous chat, wonderful company and a workout that really was a lot easier for being shared.
Because of the rain, our change in schedule and therefore no chance to use the outside pool, I am not sure that a marathon run through a home centre, IKEA and Costco suffices as extra cardio. It felt like it thugh. Only just completed my skips followed swiftly by 8MA. Could just as easily have not done the skipping but felt it crucial that I stick to my plan of really rocking for the rest of the programme. Am visualising sleek abs. Am beginning to believe that with time I can achieve this.
Do however need a lot more practice at emptying my mind whilst skipping had to keep correcting tendency to think about things, look at the ground, not look in the distance, wish I wasn't there etc., etc. However as I just realised, I feel SOOOOOO much better for having skipped, for having tripped just a little less, for increasing marginally my number of rotations. It does of course help that the temperature in Tokyo has dropped by between 10-15 degrees since yesterday. In fact it dropped 10 degrees between leaving home and meeting Tracey (and no, she does not live on a high mountain).
Wednesday, 17 August 2011
Day 79: Better
Thank you for all your support. It really, really helps a lot.
I went to bed very tired physically last night and woke up equally tired. I did have a bonanza sleep as the alarm didn't go off and my children are so well trained that they left me to sleep. So I feel a lot better for it. Not quite a goddess yet, but had my 10-year old take some more photos and they are much better. I think they may be better though because my mental state is better.
Skipping was very, very hard today. Hadn't read about Mu Shin before I skipped and realise that I stress about the actual skipping, and I look down. Definitely not an empty mind. I would be thrown out of Zen school. Will practice tomorrow. But today whole body still very tired and very leaden. The skipping was in a word "arduous". Having something to eat and then will embark upon exercises. Dog walking later tonight. If I do it after dark then the dog speed walks. In the heat and in the sun there might be some sitting down in the shade involved which is not conducive to cardio.
Breakfast this morning was definitely eat to live rather than live to eat. Only pre-cooked veggies I had were green beans so I had 140g of green beans. Whilst a bit boring it was offset by the coconut muffins that I made yesterday and had for my carbs.
I went to bed very tired physically last night and woke up equally tired. I did have a bonanza sleep as the alarm didn't go off and my children are so well trained that they left me to sleep. So I feel a lot better for it. Not quite a goddess yet, but had my 10-year old take some more photos and they are much better. I think they may be better though because my mental state is better.
Skipping was very, very hard today. Hadn't read about Mu Shin before I skipped and realise that I stress about the actual skipping, and I look down. Definitely not an empty mind. I would be thrown out of Zen school. Will practice tomorrow. But today whole body still very tired and very leaden. The skipping was in a word "arduous". Having something to eat and then will embark upon exercises. Dog walking later tonight. If I do it after dark then the dog speed walks. In the heat and in the sun there might be some sitting down in the shade involved which is not conducive to cardio.
Breakfast this morning was definitely eat to live rather than live to eat. Only pre-cooked veggies I had were green beans so I had 140g of green beans. Whilst a bit boring it was offset by the coconut muffins that I made yesterday and had for my carbs.
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Day 78: Bleah
Unfortunately I tend to be easily overwhelmed. I think I must have slipped into a mini depression sometime overnight again. Woke up knowing that I had to skip. Constraints are the heat and other things I needed to do, so there really was a sense of urgency that I just kept putting to the side. So, I ended up procrastinating for about 4 hours. Not good.
Yesterday had a high point. Was told that I looked like I had lost tonnes of weight by someone I hadn't seen in a while. And a low-ish point: managed to swim for 32 minutes. I used to be a good swimmer pre-PCP. But my arms/shoulders just ached. Ended up having to do walks in the park and lying on my back and kicking. I also watched the clock. About every 5 minutes I looked up and it felt like forever. So where did my swimming ability go?
And today...... during my procrastination I watched Patrick's video. That was good. I also read his new blog message about those super fit people in ads. Then made the mistake of trying to calculate my body fat percentage. Input weight, circumference of waist, hips, wrist and forearm. Not good at all. I have 32% body fat. So I am obese. I feel obese now but this morning I was thinking mmmm my ribs are starting to show through and there are some positive signs. When I went to download the photos we took yesterday for photo updates I had to dive below the desk. They were dreadful. When did I develop cottage cheese tummy? And to top it all off I weighed myself this morning (and yesterday) and am still only 3-4kg down from the start. I would like to say that I didn't have that much to lose, but that would indicate that I live in fairy la-la land. So after this extended session this morning of beating myself up mentally I went for my skip in the blazing sun 34 degree at 1pm. MAD. But I just wanted to finally get it over. Got angry at myself for tripping as it just made me hotter.
Decided that since all the things that I was supposed to do today have now gone by the wayside (clearing up things in the house), I might as well try to breathe deeply, ease up off the mental accelerator and go with the flow. I will do my exercises later this afternoon and then when it is less hot I will take my lazy doggy for a walk in the park (not the other one which is a rambunctious puppy who gets to go tomorrow) . Need to wait for the heat to abate or her poor paws will burn.
So breathe deeply, blow it all out. Let the rancour at myself blow over. Go to bed tonight and hope that a goddess emerges tomorrow when we take the revised photos.
Yesterday had a high point. Was told that I looked like I had lost tonnes of weight by someone I hadn't seen in a while. And a low-ish point: managed to swim for 32 minutes. I used to be a good swimmer pre-PCP. But my arms/shoulders just ached. Ended up having to do walks in the park and lying on my back and kicking. I also watched the clock. About every 5 minutes I looked up and it felt like forever. So where did my swimming ability go?
And today...... during my procrastination I watched Patrick's video. That was good. I also read his new blog message about those super fit people in ads. Then made the mistake of trying to calculate my body fat percentage. Input weight, circumference of waist, hips, wrist and forearm. Not good at all. I have 32% body fat. So I am obese. I feel obese now but this morning I was thinking mmmm my ribs are starting to show through and there are some positive signs. When I went to download the photos we took yesterday for photo updates I had to dive below the desk. They were dreadful. When did I develop cottage cheese tummy? And to top it all off I weighed myself this morning (and yesterday) and am still only 3-4kg down from the start. I would like to say that I didn't have that much to lose, but that would indicate that I live in fairy la-la land. So after this extended session this morning of beating myself up mentally I went for my skip in the blazing sun 34 degree at 1pm. MAD. But I just wanted to finally get it over. Got angry at myself for tripping as it just made me hotter.
Decided that since all the things that I was supposed to do today have now gone by the wayside (clearing up things in the house), I might as well try to breathe deeply, ease up off the mental accelerator and go with the flow. I will do my exercises later this afternoon and then when it is less hot I will take my lazy doggy for a walk in the park (not the other one which is a rambunctious puppy who gets to go tomorrow) . Need to wait for the heat to abate or her poor paws will burn.
So breathe deeply, blow it all out. Let the rancour at myself blow over. Go to bed tonight and hope that a goddess emerges tomorrow when we take the revised photos.
Monday, 15 August 2011
Day 77: Rivers of sweat
Decided I needed maximum fat burn today so hopped out of bed with my very, very weary body and trot-skipped around the block multiple times. Have changed my venue to the block outside the back door instead of the front door for a change of scene. Very hot, lots more skips but then we have 3 minutes extra.... and absolutely rivers of sweat. Stings the eyes.
Off to the pool with the kids where I will swim laps. Have charged my iShuffle so that I can listen to tunes whilst I swim. Hope that my arms and legs don't fall off like they feel they are going to now.
Off to the pool with the kids where I will swim laps. Have charged my iShuffle so that I can listen to tunes whilst I swim. Hope that my arms and legs don't fall off like they feel they are going to now.
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