the dangers of community bathrooms...

This week we have shown marked improvement all around.. so much so that we sit at work antsy as hell until it's time to punch out and head to the gym. It's pretty ridiculous. Something must be wrong with us... Me, I've been trying to find creative ways to fit a few chinups into my workplace routine, but so far have come up with zilch. I did try hanging from the toilet stall, but who knew there's a razor-sharp metal edge on the top of the stupid thing? I know chinups are supposed to be painful - but come on! And G "hangs like a monkey" every chance she gets at home, so much so that she's apparently learned how to cook with her feet (seeing as her chin-up bar is in the kitchen...great visual don't you think? And don't worry - hers are some of the prettiest, softest and cleanest feet i've ever seen!)

only 92 more torturous minutes until i can get the hell outta this office chair and change the work clothes for workout ones....

not one, but TWO close calls...

Fun and games at the gym do have a sober side. Mostly our mishaps are funny, but there's always a bit of an edge. Dumb bell press with 40lbs today - piece of cake. "No more 40lbs for you" says Jungle Mama, "go get the 45s for the next set." OK sure, sounds logical. Next set comes along, get the 45lb-ers in the air.. right shoulder starts crumbling just at that one crazy spot where you can do nothing but fling the weight and hope to god you don't hit anything fragile - like a human. Luckily the only other humans in the gym (and there weren't many) were on the other side of a wall. The crash got their attention, but no limbs or digits. Back to the 40s it was... much to my frustration and consternation. POO.

The second close call did involve a dumbbell and a human - G's foot got perilously close to the weight as it was slipping out of my hand .... our hearts and breathing stopped momentarily... but luckily a broken big toe was averted and we were cracking jokes and ribbing each other again in no time. Tomorrow we rest, and then back at it on Tuesday.

Oh and BTW - we have a new routine. Since we can't get to Montreal for the 6am Wednesday paddle, we do fun and crazy stuff along with all the contestants under Bob and Jillian's torturous care at the Biggest Loser ranch.   Tuesday nights are full of boxing, pushups and a shitload of text messages. Hee! Love this life.

Week 17

Just when you think you've got it all figured out, it gets stepped up another notch or two! Our first of three lifting routines yesterday was tough as nails... and we loved every minute of it (and the resulting after-burn.... that first-morning stretch was tinged with that oh-so-familiar feeling of having put your body through something new... those back muscles especially :)  Although I suspect some of the tightness could be a result from copious amounts of shoveling this weekend too (and again it is snowing... anyone got a bucket-loader i can borrow? heaven knows where else i can put the stuff!), my bet is on the weight routine. Four sets of varying reps, and two lactic bench sprints after the entire workout - plus a few extra pushups and chinups at home (what can i say, we really wanna improve our numbers at the next fit test!)... 

Also got some GREAT news today - we got into the Vermont City Marathon in May!! Each of us running a half, this will be the third time we're running it together. It'll be the extra little push we need to get dump a few remaining and annoying pounds, and get lean and ready for training camp. YAY! 

It's all starting to pay off...

You know you're doing something right when the most focused person in the gym pauses his own (crazy-insane-and-oh-so-inspiring) workout to tell you that you're "working harder than anyone in here.. it's so nice to see someone actually DOING something." It's also great when someone overhears your out-loud-musings about ditching the 35lb dumbbells for the 30lb ones and comments "hey, that's more than most guys use..." Makes you reconsider for sure. :) Hee!

Yesterday we ditched the chin-up machine for good. It's do or die time - no more sissying around. We're not quite at the unassisted level - still need the bands to get our chubby butts up off the ground - but we're creeping closer and closer. G has moved up to the orange/purple band, and i am warily looking over at the skinny yellow/black one... Friday... yeah, Friday. It's all in the mind, right?

Today's erg workout left G seeing stars and me wanting to explode from multiple ends. Gross but true. I for one was extremely reluctant to get myself on that hard, slippery little seat.. but I am so glad I didn't let temptation to get the better of me. (Plus having the Biggest Loser on TV doesn't hurt the motivation factor either!) My fastest SUSTAINED 30-second split time: 1:32! Whoop whoop... I've never seen the numbers go that low before.... the rush was nuts!

G left yesterday's -23-degree temperatures today and flew off to Florida to have a family reunion and to run a half-marathon with her brothers... which reminds me, I better hurry up and register for the Burlington half-marathon before my time to do so is up....

powerlifting and overload...

And still we're lovin' it.

So, today's workout challenged us to add 20% more weight and really utilize our spotters... but what happens if your spotter can't reach over the back of the decline bench (because it's sized for a freakin' ogre)? And should you worry when you hear "you're gonna have to go get your own weight because i can't lift it"?? Or how the hell do you spot on the lat pull down? This has been a week of trial and error (and thankfully no injuries!!) We tried to focus really hard today but still there were giggles and laughing fits because we felt soooo awkward as we tried to figure out how best to help one another. Hopefully we can get some answers when we see the team again on Saturday...

Still - we worked sooo hard and then worked some more. It is amazing to catch a glimpse of a really strong woman in the mirror and then realize, with much relish, that hey, that's you! Or to go over the 100lb or 150lb mark on lifts that just a few weeks ago you could barely do half that... :)

We were on such a high after our weight routine that we went a little crazy. So we did a self-test 500m sprint on the erg before our mandatory cardio (two words: Goals. Met.). And finished with 3 sets of 10 inverted row thingies and a good, long, relaxing (haha) wall sit. Life is brill.

When sickness hits...

...you get creative. Poor G is down for the count :(  It'll be a day of fun in my basement "gym" for me... and we'll just figure out a way to make the weight workout somewhere else. Or maybe we'll switch Sunday for today - hopefully she'll be back on her feet in time (and for tomorrow's team workout - yipes!). It's sooooo frustrating when life socks you one in the eye and you can't do a thing about it. Blargh! Feel better soon G!

Week 12

Transitioning into power lifting. It's going to take us a little time to figure out exactly what weights to work with, and despite a few (very) humorous episodes and one extremely long fit of giggles, we got through today's workout feeling like we accomplished something quite substantial. We tried a different gym location that we ended up not being so crazy about (despite the sauna and hot tub) - so we're heading back to familiar ground (and faces) on Wednesday. We'll come back just for the sauna and soak on our day of rest :)