Paleo Challenge 2012 - Marking My Calendar

The following is a Facebook Event by Heather Jackson member of Crossfit Unity.

"Looking for a New Year's resolution? Look no further...go Paleo for 30 days! See how you change. The challenge starts on Monday, January 2nd and goes till February 2nd.

Many people have been asking Carcará about the way he has been eating mostly over the past year; known as Paleo. So, this January we have decided on holding our own Paleo Challenge at the academy. This is a way to raise awareness of how our bodies feel and perform with and without certain foods. It also is a way of introducing people to information on Paleo and offering a support group throughout the challenge. Anyone is free to join, whether you are part of the academy or not. We'd like to see as many of you as possible giving this a go. The more people we have, the more support everyone will get!

So...are you in?

Here’s the basic rundown on the challenge, again, first and foremost it’s for awareness – awareness of how our bodies feel and perform with and without certain foods. That’s the most important aspect of this month.

30 days of the cleanest eating you’ve ever undertaken. Please give the challenge it’s fair due. There is definitely going to be an adaptation period where your body has to adjust to the change in its fuel input. This is not a one shot deal either – for example, after a drop of salad dressing you are not out and should not go right back to old eating habits. We do understand that for all of us, real life is still out there waiting and food consumption is a huge component to our work and social lives. For that reason we are going to work on a point system. If you are eating in a fashion that is 100% in line with the strictest Paleo guidelines and you feel terrible for weeks on end with your performance levels dropping, then please don’t continue for the sake of completing the month.

Guidelines
1. Eat real food – meat, eggs, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruit, oils (No vegetable or canola oil). Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re fresh and natural.

2. Do not eat dairy. This includes cheeses (hard and soft), yogurt (even Greek) and milk (including cream in your coffee).

3. Do not eat grains. This includes bread, rice, pasta, corn (yes, corn is a grain), oatmeal, etc.

4. Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds, lentils, and peanuts. (No peanut butter, kids.)

5. Do not eat sugars of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Truvia, Stevia, etc.

6. No to processed foods. Pretty much anything in the middle of the grocery store. Can't recognize it growing or running around in the wild? Don't eat it.

7. Do not drink alcohol, in any form. (I know, I know)

Point System
Everyone will starts with 0 points. If you break one of the above guidelines then give yourself a point. So if you have a piece of cheese, that’s a +1. However, if you have a glass of some sort of peanut vodka, that’s a +2, +1 for the peanuts and +1 for the alcohol. In the interest of keeping things simple, if you’re going to eat one piece of cheese or 20 of them, it’s still a +1, so go to town.

At the end of each day, log into a nutrition log and give yourself a score for that day or tally them up and give yourself a score for the week. Feel free to write in how you are feeling performance-wise and otherwise as well. Please feel free to post on our blog; reading about each others experiences will only serve to help.

Assessment
Everyone participating within the challenge will be given a small assessment on Monday, January 2nd and Thursday, February 2nd to measure results. This will include photos (before/after) and some physical capabilities. Feel free to inquire for more information.


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2011 Goals - A Year in Review

I found my 2011 New Year's Goals post and I want to see how I did this year!

It's not Thursday I know, but in the spirit of Thursday Thirteen I've decided to carry on the list of thirteen goals. To me it was kind of fun to come back a year later and see if I accomplished what I set out to do. The funny thing is most of my accomplishments came toward the end of the year.

Ready? let's go!

1.) My 10yo son needs his own room!- CHECK

2.) I want my "Silly" potty trained. - CHECK

3.) Our television needs a cabinet. I think our family dynamic worked better when it was put away in a room.- Still on the hunt for this one.

4.) Silly needs to get out of the crib and into her own bed. It's time! - CHECK

5.) It would be great to be debt free other than our mortgage. - CHECK!

6.) See how many of the Dave Ramsey steps we can get through.- Today we are on Baby Step 3

7.) Run a 5K every month. (Thanks to Katina J. for coming up with that one!) - CHECK

8.)  This year I will continue to exercise and make better food choices and I will weigh less than I do right now by the end of the year!- Another 10 pounds down!

9.) Remodel the guest bathroom. - CHECK

10.) New mattresses for every bed in the house. Any suggestions? - CHECK

11.) Read a book a month. If you're not learning, you're not earning! Where did I get that one from? Keith S.?- NOT AT ALL

12.) Learn Spanish (my dream would be to become fluent but I might need more than a year of distractions to accomplish that goal!) NOT AT ALL

13.) Get back to Family Game Nights! Those are the most fun. NOT AT ALL



Running:
It was tough on my body at first but I'm better now than in January. My speed did increase but there were plenty of ups and downs. Weather conditions had a lot to do with my performance. My fastest time was in May. The plan is to continue to train and race but it won't be nearly as often. Having friends to run with  is so much more fun and it is so good to have a support network. Oddly enough the bridge runs were my favorite, the flat roads get boring after a while. No concrete training for me! The trails are much better for my body. The music I found this year for running was awesome. Although there were a couple of races where my music player didn't work. I didn't like it at all because my tunes keep me in the right frame of mind. Some how through all of these race I fell into running 10Ks. Who knew I would pick up 3 of them this year, amazing. I think it's safe to consider myself a true runner. Lord knows I have been through several pairs of shoes this year. Hot yoga was great for my training because it helped me deal with the heat. Running helps me clear my head. I have a lot to think about when I run and it's great to have some time to sort it all out. Some races my feet and my stomach would take a beating. Every race was different and there was always some way to adapt. It's been an interesting ride.


5K's
Jan 42:10 Feb 37:00 Feb 38:23 Mar 32:28 Apr 32:13 May 31:31 June 38:32 10K avg July 32:45 Aug 33:46 Sept 32:35 Oct 31:47 Nov 31:35 10K avg Dec 35:075K's with Obstacles Sept 45:50
10K's
March No Chip Report June 1:18:17 October 1:05:34 November 1:06:48

Other goals/challenges completed:

Grunt Style Challenge through Mamavation

Run Hades through Fitness Collaborative

Flipping The Switch becoming a Morning Person

28 Day Health Challenge by VitaMark

Create an online course by UHCL

100 Day Burpee Challenge by Crossfit

Spring Slim Down Challenge Winner by Crossfit - Can't find the post but I have the plaque! Whoot.

To sum things up I would say that as a stay at home mom it's good to have other challenges besides raising kids. It's hard to keep yourself at the top of the "To Do" list but this year I have done a much better job. Can't wait for 2012!

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5K Challenge - Complete!

One of my goals for the New Year is to enter one 5K each month this year. CHECK! 

5K #11 I actually ran a 10K on Thanksgiving. I also ran an obstacle course beach run before that so I'm finishing up this year with a 5K in December #12. It's the Reindeer Run! I'm nursing a back injury but I ran/walked it any way with a time of 35:07. Ugh! Not at all the way I wanted to finish off the year but I'm finished. I did complete what I started. I'm actually more impressed with my 10K progress this year. It wasn't a goal but it just sort of happened along the way. Who knew? What's next on my running goals? I'm going to tackle a 1/2 on February 5th. I need to start training but I need to recover from this back injury first. I'm not in the gym or running or really doing anything but resting in between therapy sessions. I'm not a fan of sitting idle but I know I have to. So CHEERS to the end of 2011. It was a great learning experience for me.

 5K #10 What great weather to finally run in! Whoo Hoo. I didn't have any pink so I ended up wearing the race shirt. It was the most crowded race I've ever had the pleasure of running in. There was a lot of weaving in and out of people. Around the 2 mile marker I sort of just started doing intervals because it was so hard to keep a steady pace. My quads hurt, my knee was hurting and my other muscles (not sure of the name) on the sides of my calves were hurting. At the end of the race my left foot was killing me. It could have been from all that running up and down the curbs to get around people. I don't know. The up and down hills were unexpected too! However, running the Kemah bridge gave me preparation for those. It's possible that I should have just took a rest day yesterday. My legs were super sore. It was a great run for weather but not for the body! Kroger was there in full force with lots of snacks! It was great. There were tons of teams all decked out with awesome names. I'm so glad I got to participate this year. Even though it was crowded it was seriously worth it for such a great cause.  My time 31:45. not my best but not too bad either.

5K #9 and still going strong. This was a race that I ran all by myself. None of my running or workout buddies were there for support, at least not physically. It was a little weird I have to be honest! I did it though. Today was the BENeezy Purple Monkey Fun Run in Alvin. It was a drive and I got lost in the dark at 6 something in the morning. lol - I made it there, I signed up, I ran it! The first mile they called out was 9:45 as my time. The second mile was 19:55. I knew I was going to too fast. Every time I get caught up in speed I die out at 2.5 - 3 miles. Sure enough my calves started to burn and I had to walk. There was a long stretch of road that was in the blazing sun. I was just begging to turn the corner to get in some shade. It was HOT! The next time that I heard was 29: something....then 31: something and I knew that I had not made any PRs today. It was disappointing! After I got home to post my time I realized that my time was faster than the last two races I've run. Guess I'll stop being so hard on myself. I'm really hoping that cooler weather will help me from dying out! I have to figure that out. Until October!

(Katina, Mo, Liz, Me)

5K #8 and counting!  Only 4 more to go before I complete my New Year's goal of one 5K per month for the year. Today's race was the Outrigger's 5K. It was very hot! My iPod got stuck right before the race. That didn't help at all. I tried to stay focused but the heat got to me. It was really hard watching all my running buddies pass me by. There was puke on the concrete and behind me more people were getting sick. That part of it was not inspiring. I had a great pace for a while but it just wasn't working and I had to begin walk/run intervals. What was really cool is the .1 of the 3.1 mile I caught some crazy wind and just sprinted to the finish line. My time was 33:46. I have to tell you that the new sports bra and dry wick tank really helped! I'm so glad I actually spent the money to invest in a few dry wick shirts. Those cotton shirts are for the birds.

(Rico, Steve, Keith, Katina, Me, Nu and Ellis)

Another 5K marked off the list! This was the 33rd Lunar Rendezvous. I'm keeping steady with my goal for the year. This was a tough race. The humidity was just awful for me. I started to really feel it by 1.5 miles but then my iPod died at 2.5 miles and so did I. In order to finish I began run/walk intervals. There wasn't a whole lot of training for this and I hadn't logged any miles since last month at the 10K. My time for this race was 32:45.3. I'm a little surprised because I did feel like I was running faster and that I had a good pace but obviously not. Oh well, until the next one!

 (Keith, Me, Nu and Steve)

 Unfortunately I have to use this 10K to count for my June race. The other race I signed up for I wasn't able to make due to pneumonia. This was my second 10K to run and my time was 1 hour and 18 minutes. You can read more of the details of this 10K race here.

 (Tif and Nu Rigby, Karen Nelson, me)

6th 5K and still meeting my once a month goal! It's May 7th and the 5K I ran today was the Sprint for Life supporting ovarian cancer. My hip didn't bother me until just short of the 2 mile marker. My music selection was Treading Tiesto 165bpm. The man at the 2 mile marker holding the stop watch called out 20 minutes! Squeals of joy!!! That means I was running 10 minute miles. I tried to get back into the race but I had to start doing run/walk intervals to finish it out because my hip was bothering me. After the 3rd mile I wanted to change up my music and the blasted iPod got stuck! I'm not sure how long I was messing with it but I took my ear phones out and just tried to finish out the race. When I saw the clock it said 32 minutes. I was a little disappointed and wished I had done better. Afterward we enjoyed all the yummy post race goodies and Nu checked my time and told me it was 31:31!!!!!!!!!!!! What???? Whoot that is a personal record for me. I'm so excited. Can't wait to see what my time will be when I don't have a stuck iPod or hip pain! I'm gonna rock it some more. Whoot!

 5th 5K so far this year but this one counts toward my once a month goal. Today April 9th we ran the Shell Strides for School fun run. My iPod was on a new MotionTraxx.com program and the bpm was pretty high. I got caught up with the crowd in the first mile and ran it in 9 minutes something seconds. That is a really fast pace for me and I knew I was in trouble for the remaining distance. After the 2 mile mark I just sort of lost it. I stopped running and had a really hard time getting my pace back. During the final stretch a very nice lady encouraged me and we ran the rest of it together. I finished 32:13. I think that is my PR so far this year. It's getting hotter and hotter though.

4th 5K and this one does count toward my goal because it's the first one in March that I ran. The race was at 2:30pm and normally they begin at 8am or some time very early in the morning. Thank goodness the weather was on our side and it was a beautiful day. I finally broke down and bought a Nike Sport Armband for my iPod. Those things are really helpful! I'm catching up with the times. I also wore my new Brooks running shoes. Whoot! My time for this race was 32:28. Can you believe it? Me either. My times are all over the place but I am improving nonetheless. Next up is my first 10K! It's Angie's Half Crazy Marathon. I'm running it as a relay race with my good friend Ellis. I have three weeks to train. Wish me luck.

3rd 5K - This is not on my list because it's the second one in the same month but I still ran/walked it. This was the Galloway Gallop Fun Run in Kemah, Texas. Not a good run for me at all and my time was 38:23, 7th place in my age division out of 10 and a pace of 12:15. All week I had a fever off and on and I didn't feel good. For some reason I could not keep a pace! It was humid and I didn't eat before I ran. Lots of things went wrong during this race but I finished. That is all.

2nd 5K on my goal list. Today I ran the Brookwood Elementary Fun Run 2011 this morning at 10am. I was really worried about this run because I knew it was all on concrete. The pounding would not be good for my leg. This was a last minute entry but I'm glad I decided to go. Frantically I was looking for my Ipod which made me run late getting there and then I found it in my purse only to have a dead battery. In my head I was sure my time would be slower because I didn't think I could make it without music. My friend Liz said, "Maybe you will have a better time?" Who knew she would so right. My time for this race was a little under 37 minutes. I'm going with 37. Whoot! This is race number two on my 5K goal. I'm already signed up later this month for Galloway Gallop Mardi Gras Fun Run -.....
  

1st 5K of the New Year! This is the one I will be participating in for the month of January. I'm not a fan of running in the cold. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm a little nervous. My calves are cramping and my shins are tender from yesterday's crossfit training session. I'm doing and taking everything that I can to make myself better. If I end up walking then so be it! I refuse to re-injure myself.
WHOOT!!!!! I ran the whole sucka with a time of 42:10. I will take it. The cold weather worked in my favor. My calves were still tender but I stretched them out and made it through. No injuries!  The trail was mostly grass and that made it more challenging but it was easier on my joints. Last year my goal was to run a whole 5K without walking. I didn't make that goal last year. However, I have to tell you that running the whole thing even though it's a slow time is one heck of a way to start out the year! I'm on cloud 9.

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Another Day, Another Challenge! #100DayBurpeeChallenge

That's right! The be all end all of hideous fitness exercises. Ask any one who is working out in the realm of burpees. They are a tough challenge to even the fittest of athletes. I'm not great at them but I'm willing to work on my weaknesses. That my friends, is how you get better. Before I show you the how to video with modifications posted by Ballina I want you to see Crossfit Unity trainer Shaun McCrary in action. 

Just watch his burpees and how he freaking flies up in the air!

Amazing!!!!

Today I was on Twitter and I got a tweet from a Crossfit gym in Ballina Australia! Yep, how cool is that? They were talking about this 100 Day Burpee Challenge. I've been talking about working on my burpees so this is the perfect way for me to take the bull by the horns and by like Nike and "Just Do It!"

Here are the details from their post -
Sooooo, we are thinking start Monday August 1st?? Who’s in??
The idea is to complete burpees each day for 100 consecutive days, increasing in reps each day, starting at 1 burpee on day 1, and finishing with 100 burpees on day 100.
The Rules:
1. Use proper burpee form (start standing, jump feet backward to plank, complete a good form push up, jump forward to squat position, jump up with feet completely off the ground)
2. You can complete each day’s burpees all at once, or broken up and done at different times throughout the day
3. If for some reason you miss a day, you have to make up all the missed burpees the following day
4. If you don’t start the challenge on the first day, you can “buy-in” at any time by doing ALL the missed days burpees on your first day
5. Any burpees you complete during your regular workout can count towards that day’s Challenge burpees, if you want them to
6. Have fun doing burpees and getting stronger doing it!
Come on….. It’ll be fun!!!!

I'm going to keep my updates on this challenge here on this post and let's just see how fantastic I'm going to be by the time we get to Day 100. Bring it! I'm hoping the Mamavation Sistas will want to join in and the discussions will be held on Bookieboo.com. You can also follow updates on Twitter using the hashtag #100DayBurpeeChallenge.

8/4/2011 - Buy in - 6 burpees to cover 8/1 - 8/3 + today's burpees is a total of 10. My first 4 were done at my gym after my WOD. The other 6 were going to be done at home.

8/5/2011 - The Burpee Karma came for me today. It turns out that I did not get those 6 burpees done at home last night. I just couldn't seem to muster the energy. My plan was to scrap it and buy in at 15 burpees today to play catch up. After today's Crossfit WOD there was a little extra. All I read was burpees 10 --->1 and thought, ok, this works perfectly! I can get this knocked out and get all caught up. People do the math! That is 55 Burpees that I did today for my buy in. OUCH! Tomorrow I will only be doing 6. That is all.

8/6/2011 - It hurt a lot. It was only 6 of them but after the 2 WODs yesterday and the 5K this morning my muscles are crying I tell you! My time 1:01.

8/7/2011 - Day 7 = 7 Burpees! I'm scared to do them. I've waited all this time to do them. It's gonna stink! Enough whining girl, get it done. Who cares if it's right after dinner. Good luck keeping it down. Now go outside, find some room and bust it out. I'm back, I conquered and this time I had shoes on. It makes it easier. I kept it down but there is a great deal of burping going on. lol - excuse the pun.My time :43 seconds.

8/8/2011 - Day 8 = 8 If you saw my Mamavation post then you got to see my little ones doing it with me. Nothing cooler than that. (No time recorded)

8/9/2011 - Day 9 = 9 I completed them after my work out today. The first few are getting easier but the ones that are near the end, like those last 3 are getting really hard. lol - What a commitment! (No time recorded)

8/10/2011 - Day 10 = 10 After the first 7 they started to get sloppy. I'm not gonna lie this is tough stuff. I do it at the gym right in front of my trainer. That way I know it gets done! My time 1:08.

8/11/2011 - Day 11 = 11  Today my Crossfit WOD called for 55 burpees. They are getting a little easier. Not a lot but a little. lol  (No Time recorded)

8/12/2011 - Day 12 = 12 Mine were done at 6:?am this morning after my hill training. I found a spot light and did them on the concrete. Bad idea for the hands ladies. That hurt a bit. Lucky for me there is a boot camp class so I was using their energy to get it done! lol My time 1:10.

8/13/2011 - Day 13 = 13 Oh my were those sloppy! I'm not in the gym and it's so much harder to do it at home. I got it done but it wasn't pretty. My time 1:27

8/14/2011 - Day 14 = 14 Much better form today! Not nearly as sloppy as yesterday. I did them here in my office while I'm cooking dinner. That was still not easy but I got it done. Can't wait to be in the gym tomorrow. My time 1:17.

8/15/2011 - Day 15 = 15 My time today was 1:37. Even though it feels like it's taking forever that is still a pretty fast time. I need to go back and put my other times in for all the other days I have tracked. They got sloppy after number 9 but it's done and it was completed at the gym. It's a much better environment.

8/16/2011 - Day 16 = 16 burpees. It sucked, a lot. It was after a Crossfit workout. My time 2:17.

8/17/2011 - Day 17 = 17 burpees down. I killed them. I was laying down flat by 11 but I pushed through it. It was much faster than yesterday. I put them in as part of my #Crossfit warm up! Whoop and my time today was 1:41. Bring it!

8/18/2011 - Day 18 =  18 burpees. I get to use them as a permanent part of my warm ups now. Today my quads were screaming! The burn was pretty intense. By the time I got to 9 I was flat as a pancake but realized I was half way through and knew I needed to suck it up and soldier on! My time 1:52.

8/19/2011 - Day 19 = 19 burpees. WOW those 19 were fun. I'm sore so it was slow going today. Trying to keep positive because I have 81 days to go! My time 2:07

8/20/2011 - Day 20 = 20 burpees. Day 20! That's right 20 in a row. This is the point you reach where you just have to relax into it. It's not going to go by fast. It's become the marathon now. It did burn in my quads though after that 3+ mile run this morning. My time 2:02

8/21/2011 - Day 21 = 21 burpees but not for me. In my Crossfit workout today I got to do 4 rounds of 15 burpee box jumps. I basically do a burpee and then jump up on a 20" box. That is a total of 60 burpees. My left leg didn't come with my on one of those jumps and I ate the box and did some sort of drop and roll. No time.

It's a nice shade of purple today.

8/22/2011 - Day 22 = 22 burpees. It wasn't so bad after yesterday! My time 2:24.


8/23/2011 - Day 23 = 23 burpees. Good Lord. It's getting easier but at the same time it's getting harder near the end. It's done though. My time 2:44.

8/24/2011 - Day 24 = 24 That's right! I'm doing division in my head thinking I can take a breather when I hit 12. It wasn't great today but it wasn't that bad either. As I get closer to 30 I realize I'm going to be hitting that 3 minute mark. My time 2:46.

8/25/2011 - Day 25 = 25 I was happy because my time was faster than the previous two days! I'll take it. Maybe I'm just getting faster at dropping to the ground! lol  My time 2:37

8/26/2011 - Day 26 = 26 It was a rough morning! I must not have had the right frame of mind today because it felt like FOREVER!!!!! My time 2:41

8/27/2011 - Day 27 = 27 Hit the tennis courts for this set around 6:30am. It was tough but better than the concrete. I guess it has a smoother texture to it. My time 3:45  WOW!!!! That is so much slower than when I'm in the gym! Thank goodness I'm going tomorrow.

8/28/2011 - Day 28 = 100m sprint, 5R(18lb. KB), 5L(10lb. db) over head box squat, 100m sprint, 10 burpees all for 10 rounds. My time: 1 HOUR ... that's 100 burpees today. Good Lord I can't wait until tomorrow.

8/29/2011 - Day 29 = The 29 are better than the 100 I had to do yesterday. I'll take it!!!! My time 3:06.

8/30/2011 - Day 30 = OMG - I can't believe we are now doing 30 consecutive burpees in a row. My time was faster than yesterday and you know why? My trainer was doing 30 right next to me. When I got to my 17th burpee he was done! WOW!!!!! My time: 3:04.

8/31/2011 - Day 31 - You know three minutes is not a long time but man I sure did get tired. It's Day 31. I need to rewrap my brain around this challenge. My time: 3:15.

9/1/2011  - Day 32 - It's taking a lot longer. It's harder to do them after I run in the morning. My quads BURN!!!! Either way I have to figure it out and soldier on. My time 3:34.

9/2/2011 - Day 33 -  Sloppy burpees is what they are! I didn't run this morning so it wasn't as bad as yesterday which would explain the 4 second difference. We are ON a whole new level here! My time 3:30.

9/3/2011 - Day 34 - Thank GOD it was part of my Crossfit work out today. There isn't going to be a time. We did a total of 45 burpees. They were bar facing burpees and because they are so hard tomorrow I will appreciate the 35. At least that's my story!

9/4/2011 - Day 35 - Did them at home without a stop watch. They were sloppy but they got done. I really rather do them at the gym.

9/5/2011 - Day 36 - WOW I can feel it in my quads. They are NOT happy. It's getting harder and harder but my arms are getting stronger and stronger. My time 4:11.

9/6/2011 - Day 37 - I'm worrying less about speed and thinking of it as more of a marathon now. I'm just relaxing into it. My time 4:07.

9/7/2011 - Day 38 - Today we had a Crossfit WOD that included 60 burpees. They were broken up by lunges and GHD back extensions. I left a lake behind me. Just check facebook there are lots of pics during our Crossfit sessions.

9/8/2011 - Day 39 - Whoa! Very sore in my legs after yesterday's work out. I still managed to soldier on with a time of 4:10. Sweet!!!!

9/9/2011 - Day 40 - It burns!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everything burns. The arms and legs. It was tough to get them done but they got done. Whoot. My time 4:39.


9/10/2011 - Day 41 - OMG - That was tough after that run this morning. I had to lay there a few times and just get started again. 41 was no joke! My time 5:27.

9/11/2011 - Day 42 -Wish I would have paid attention to the Crossfit WOD today. This was my first round of burpees today. I couldn't believe how much faster they were today than yesterday! Guess it helps if you don't run on a bridge first. My time 4:38. The work out today tacked on 43 burpees for at total of 85. Whoa!

9/12/2011 - Day 43 - I was so sore from yesterday's work out that I couldn't even do it for a warm up. I had to wait until after today's work out to do it. This was by far the hardest set to date. I made it through Day 43. My time 6:45.

9/13/2011 - Day 44 - These were done after my warm up so it was a pretty good set. My time 4:27.

9/14/2011 - Day 45 - Serious fatigue. I'm not sure what is going on but I'm going to have to change things up. These burpees are becoming a full work out. My time 5:18.

9/15/2011 - Day 46 - much better after a warm up and a work out. It was still super tough but I got it done. My time 5:37.

9/16/2011 - Day 47 - Late night cabin burpees. It took a long time because I was doing them in a very confined place. No recorded time.

9/17/2011 - Day 48 - Burpees in the pool. I had the option so I took it. My kids kept asking me what I was doing but a challenge is a challenge and I will not skip and make them up the next day. NO THANK YOU! No recorded time.

9/18/2011 - Day 49 - Enough of these late night burpees! I'm ready to get back in the gym and get these done properly. No recorded time.

9/19/2011 - Day 50 - Whoo Hoo! Half way there. No recorded time.

9/20/2011 - Day 51 - That was tough. It's getting so much harder now. I'm hanging in there though. My time 7:40.

9/21/2011 - Day 52 - 5 Lateral Burpees, 7 Floor to Overhead (split jerks 65lbs.), 12 Floor Swipers (65lbs.) for 5 rounds My time 13:35. Whoa! Tacked on 27 burpees due today for the #100DayBurpeeChallenge for Day 52. That was the tough part.

9/22/2011 - Day 53 - Not too bad today! My time: 7:15.

9/23/2011 - Day 54 - Did them at home and very slowly. I have a 5K obstacle course tomorrow. No recorded time.


9/24/2011 - Missed, Boo!!!!

9/25/2011 - Day 56 + Day 55. I missed it yesterday. BAD MOVE on my part. 111 burpees done! My time 16:00.

9/26/2011 - Day 57 - Good Lord! It felt really slow today but that could be because I worked out before hand. My time: 8:46.

9/27/2011 - Day 58 - HAH! Take that 58 burpees. It felt slow but my time is faster than yesterday. I'll take it. It's getting easier to do them believe it or not. I'm doing them in sets of 10. It makes it easier in my mind, not sure why but I'm sticking with it. My time 7:07

9/28/2011 - Day 59 - Whoa! I was sweating a lake on that mat. Ugh! My legs are tender but overall not a bad set. My time 7:17.

9/29/2011 - Day 60 - Whoa! My legs are sooooo tender. This was tough today but I still did it. I'm hanging in there with 40 days to go! Whoo Hoo My time: 7:37.

9/30/2011 - Day 61 - Slowest time yet. We did a #Crossfit WOD today that just did me in for anything else. :/  My time 12:31.


10/1/2011 - Day 62 - This is so wrong to have to do after today's race but I'm doing it for fear of 125 burpees. That is all. No recorded time....I passed out and forgot to do them. Boo!

10/2/2011 - Day 62 + Day 63 = 125 burpees. Good Lord! Surprisingly it wasn't that bad. I mean it was BAD but not nearly as awful as it was in my head. Whoo Hoo! Either way I'm caught up and ready for Day 64.

10/3/2011 - Day 64 - Not feeling it today but getting it done. So close! That's what keeps me going.

10/4/2011 - Day 65 - I took it easy today. I was actually listening to some friends tell me some cool times they had on a trip.

10/5/2011 - #Crossfit WOD 400m run, dead lift 15 reps (135lbs.), burpees over the bar 10 reps - 3 rounds. My time 21:35. I have to remember that even though overall it is a slow time, I'm doing Rx. #100DayBurpeeChallenge - I added 36 after the workout for day 66. Whoa!

10/6/2011 - Oh My God! Day 67 was brutal. I left a pool of sweat behind. Well actually I cleaned it up but still it was hard. My time 10:27.

10/7/2011 -  Missed!

10/8/2011 - Day 69 - I ended up doing 75. I owe the burpee bank!

10/9/2011 - Day 70 - Killed them all while carrying on a conversation. Seriously? I'm feeling pretty confident today. Added another 52 to make up for what I missed afterward with no recorded time. My time 11:39.

10/10/2011  - Day 71 - Missed!

10/11/2011  - Day 72 - Missed!

10/12/2011 - Day 73 - I skipped day 71 & 72, both those days just got away from me. Today is 73 so I spent another 48 minutes 16 seconds after the Chelsea work out doing 217 burpees. I wanted to cry. I did pray a lot! I was kicking my own ars for missing those days. It was nothing but cyborg mode! I did it. I'm caught up. On to the next day.

I think I was on about 110 when my trainer caught this photo of my torture.

10/13/2011 - OUCH!!!!!!!!!!! My arms. Day 74. That is all. No recorded time.

10/14/2011 - Day 75. Took it extremely slow today. My arm muscles are screaming! I need a couple days to repair, eat and sleep! Karen, Chelsea, Nancy and Dating Sage took me out this week. Only 25 days to go and it's O-V-E-R! No recorded time.

10/15/2011 - Day 76 Those were the crunchiest burpees I've ever heard. My arms are obviously not recovered yet. Here's to a better tomorrow. My time 25:00.

10/16/2011 - Day 77 Day 77 - My arms feel much better today. It was still slow going but they got done. Whoot! My time 20:00.

10/17/2011 - I'm tired and slower and so ready to be done. That's another 78 under my belt. My time 15:00.

10/18/2011 - Day 79 - WHAT???? This is crazy. The closer we get to 100 the more I'm amazed. Today was much better than the last 3 and I'm pretty sure it's because I'm back in the gym. Whoo Hoo! My time 13:45.

10/19/2011 - Day 80 10 to 1 Burpee Broad Jump to Plate (25lbs.) Over head walking lunges (25lb plate) 200m Run = My time 26:53. I tacked on my 25 burpees at the end of my workout to complete Day 80 of the #100DayBurpeeChallenge. The 200m runs KILLED me. It was like running in quick sand. The last 200m (my victory lap) I just pushed through it.

10/20/2011 - Day 81 Killed them all. I was super happy with my time. After that WOD today my legs & arms were on FIRE. How I pulled out that time was simply some sort of cyborg mode! We are on the downhill slide now. My time 10:53.


10/21 - 10/23 Owing the burpee bank! This is going to be awful! 82+83+84=249 burpees. Ugh!!!!


10/24/2011  - Day 85 - It's a new day! - No recorded time.

10/25/2011 - HAH! After that #Crossfit WOD it was horrible. Everything burned but it got done. Day 86. My time 14:11.

10/26/2011 - Day 87 - I actually waiting for the next #Crossfit class to come in so I could draw some energy. It worked, and that's how I made it through 87 burpees. 13 days.... My time 12:25.

10/27/2011 - Day 88 - It burns after that work out today. My arms burn. The sweat is just a pull. You will see it soon enough. Either way those burpees got spanked today! 12 days.... My time 11:36.


10/28/2011 - Day 89 - Starting to get sick. No recorded time.

10/29/2011 - Day 90 - I feel even worse today. There is a nasty infection trying to bring me down. It's in my head, my nose, my ears and my throat. Feel like total CRAP! But I got it done. It was super slow. No recorded time.

10/30/2011 - Day 91 - I'm just getting progressively worse. I just want to go to the gym so I can bust them out! It's taking me nearly half an hour do get it done. I'm gonna feel better tomorrow though. Positive thinking! No recorded time.

10/31/2011 - Day 92 - Sooooooooooo happy to be back in the gym. My hip flexors are super tight! That's not fun. My time 13:30.

11/1/2011 - Day 93 - Rocked it today! During the last 10 I had a fellow crossfitter and my trainer jump in. Whoo Hoo!!! My time 11:06.

11/2/2011 - Day 94 - looking pretty sloppy to me. I can feel them because I land like a pigeon toed frog! lol - I don't fly very high. It's more like a hop but they are getting done. Soooooooooooooo close! My time 13:30.

11/3/2011 - Day 95 -  My trainer pulled out the psychological warfare! lol - Not really he just gave me a challenge to hit 12 minutes for today. Heather and Josh were there cheering me on. I needed it today. It was HARD! But I did it and met the goal. Bring it!!!! lol - There is an inner strength in all of us. You just have to dig deep to find it. :)   My time: 11:05.

11/4/2011 - Day 96 - WOD 5min row for calories (71), 4min (WO)man makers(20 lbs.) 12 reps, 3min Burpees 25 reps, 2min Pull-Ups (orange) 15 reps, 1min Toes to bar (more like toes to knees!) 5 reps. 128 total. I tacked on 71 Burpees to make it Day 96. No recorded time.


11/5/2011 - Day 97 - Slow going but done.

11/6/2011 -  Day 98 - Slower going but done. My body is pretty beat up. Two more days of this...

11/7/2011 - Day 99 - So after I walked around and went through my mental breakdown I asked my trainer for the MOST modified version of a burpee. I'm not going to make it to Day 99 and stop because I pulled or pinched or whatever it is! That's just not an option. lol - So he showed me what to do. I gathered my chips and went in the corner. I couldn't do the modified version. It took to long and it hurt worse than just doing them! So there I was ... me and Jesus... that's right. We did 99 burpees together. It took longer than I wanted but it's done. Tomorrow is Day 100. I'm so thankful that I didn't just call it quits and I'm so glad my trainer understood and helped me finish up

I woke up this morning to a question on Facebook. How has this challenge changed your life? 
Has it really been all that life changing for me, no I don't really think that it has been. I'm all heart and that is something I already knew was there. I also have a mind set that I'm capable of accessing when I need too. Maybe that is the part that has changed my life the most. Now I know that I can put myself in that frame of mind to finish. That in turn gives me more confidence than before. I guess that would be the biggest change for me. When you know that you can do one more than you did the day before? That's proven confidence. It's not easy and at times, painful. Some days quick and some days slow and the last few weeks there has been a lot of prayer, but I roll with it. I just want to finish what I started. When I commit that is it for me. I'm all the way in until it's over. When you challenge yourself you just keep proving that over and over as you finish what you start. If you put your mind and heart into what you want, you can succeed. It's what you tell yourself that matters the most.

11/8/2011 - Day 100 Time: 12:45 = 5,050 burpees completed
I just finished the #100DayBurpeeChallenge on BookieBoo.com!

Day 100 - The hardest 12 minutes and 45 seconds. I was in a great deal of pain and I took lots of pauses. It was one of the most mentally challenging processes I think I have ever been through. Before you go bananas critiquing my form, I already know. If you don't know what happened then you can read above Day 99. Today was just about finishing what I started. Special thanks to the 8:15 & 8:45am class coming in to cheer me on! Special thanks to Shaun for getting me through it. You can hear him counting off for me. He knows how to get in my head which is a good thing, for me. Special thanks to Daniel! I could hear him encouraging me as well. Special thanks to Karen for showing up in person to cheer me on through the last 30! It really meant a lot and it helped get me through to the end. Thanks to Eminem, L.L. Cool J and House of Pain! Thanks to Crossfit Unity for allowing me to use the facilities to get through the challenge.

No, I'm not going back down the ladder. My body has been through enough. Now my trainer and I are going to work on fixing me. I'll keep you updated! We will be working on my range of motions among other things.

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#Challenge - Create an Online Class

If you're a new reader you will quickly find out that I'm always challenging myself in one way or another just check out my side bar. Today I'm working on a new kind of challenge. I'm dusting off the old Masters degree and putting my love for Social Media to work!

I have exactly 8 days to create an online course about Sociology and Social Media. This is going to require lots of research on my part. What kind of sites will we study? What sort of groups will we research? What type of books will we read? It's all a mystery at the moment but if I want this class I'm going to have to make it come together. It's not a how to class where I teach you how to create a blog or create Twitter and Facebook accounts. Even though I am skilled at those types of things. No, we are going to delve much deeper.

A 16 week course.  How do I test their knowledge? Do I go with opinion papers? So much to organize with so little time. You would think this would be a pretty easy task. The problem? My husband is leaving town for the week, so is my Mother and Grandmother. That leaves me with the three kids all on my own. So here I go taking a deep breath! If I can pull this off......awesome things are going to happen!

 ***Update***
I was able to pull it off. I created the syllabus and all the course work. It was presented to the committee and this is the response I finally received.

"Pam - unfortunately, we will  not be able to offer the media course for the Spring 2012 semester. Because of budget cuts, the HSH administration is not allowing ANY new courses to be offered because they tend to have low enrollment. I could not change anyone's mind about it. So, I would suggest that you continue to work on the course, and I was told that we could possibly offer a new course in Fall 2012. Sorry about this dissapointment, but let's keep working on this because as you say, no course like this has been offered here, and I think this would make a great addition to our sociology curriculum."



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E100 Challenge

Our church is throwing out a challenge that I would like to share with each of you. Grab your Bible and get ready to spend 20 minutes a day reading. Here is our schedule. Feel free to jump in! I'm way behind in my readings so I'm going to have to double up but I'm not worried. For further information please click this link to the E100 Challenge.

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Don't Forget the Children! - Step 6 #TheDigitalMomHandbook

While designing an online class and trying to meet a deadline I watched myself fall into a downward spiral. The entire process only took about 7 days. It started out small enough, staying up a little later than usual, not getting up to get my morning mile in and a lot more online activity. While researching for the class I found more and more unanswered questions and more and more material to cover.

I had to meet a deadline! I was grabbing whatever I could to eat, if I got hungry! No food journals updated, I stopped taking all of my vitamins and Star Bucks became my new BFF. The caffeine was flowing heavily and it cost me $5 every time I went to get a coffee. Some days I hit that place twice! What's the big deal? I'm pretty sure I went through $50 in less than 7 days on coffee alone. All of this is so OUT of character for me. When I came across Step 6 of this book I thought to myself, Dont' Forget the Children! Seriously? YES!!!!!! My poor babies were put off time after time. "Mom, come see this!" my reply, "Give me 5 more minutes I have to finish this thought..I have to finish reading this one paragraph...I have to finish typing this phrase....I'm trying to get this syllabus done!" I would snap. Oh geez. I would work and work on this project running late nearly every where I went. It was my biggest fear that I would leave one of the kids somewhere and forget to pick one of them up or something. Thankfully that didn't happen.

There wasn't any help either because my family was out of town, my husband was out of town and my close friends were having issues of their own. Each day I would get a little less sleep, a little more snappy, and the only thing that kept me even close to any type of normalcy was Crossfit. But eventually I was talking myself into hitting the gym! WHOA!!!! What was happening to me? Who was I turning into and is it worth it? On the one hand my brain was getting fed. I felt fantastic to be back in my intellectual element but at the same time my health was drowning. My house was a mess, the laundry was not getting done and I was invisibly chained to this computer. There was no balance.

That is what Step 6 is about, finding your balance. I finished my project right in the nick of time, about 1:30am this morning to be exactly. I woke up four hours later and ran 4 miles up and down a bridge, went to a funeral and then went to dinner with friends. It feels good to be done with the project and now I sit and wait to see what happens. In the meantime I'm recapturing my health! I'm getting back on track and if I do get the job I need to find balance. I'm not eager for this last week to become my life. I don't want to be that kind of Mom this I know for sure.


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28-Day Health Challenge by Vitamark

 A new day, a new challenge. My work out buddies turned me on to this 28-Day Health Challenge. I get to "Detox. Recharge." Rebuild a better me! Score, I'm in. I love a good challenge and if this is going to help me from the inside out I'm going for it. I got my box of goodies on my doorstep about 30 minutes ago and I can't wait to get started. I'll keep you updated on my progress and let you know what I think here on this post!

Let me start by saying that I am already a customer of  the VitaOne and Crave products. Within a few days of taking the VitaOne packets I noticed a difference. I felt better and my nails were getting longer. The Crave packets were easy, tear, pour in my water, shake and go! Tons of much needed energy. Later on I started taking the Coral Calcium for stronger bones.

My package comes with these products, a check off chart to keep me on track for the full 28 days, a Day 1 questionnaire and a Day 28 questionnaire to track my progress. I'm ready to get started.

Day 1 - Completed questionnaire responding to reasons for taking the challenge. Those that apply to me are: optimal health, improve athletic performance, stress management, mood improvement, better focus/mental energy, stamina and improvement in the aging process.

General wellness average
Quality of sleep low
Stress tolerance low
Digestion quality average
Energy Levels average
Overall Focus low
Quality of mood average

These answers are based on my continuing to heal from my incision. It's a slow process keeping me from being able to work out at my full potential. That's a bit frustrating. My husband is about to leave for a week for work and that puts my stress tolerance at a low level with three kids. Although I do have high hopes of healing, detoxing and recharging! I'm ready for optimal health.
First up! VitaMarin capsule (2xs) & 1 bottle of Limu plus mini, packet of VitaOne and Crave. Let's go!

Day 2 - Same dose different day. I'm not sure if I can tell a huge difference yet. It is also possible that I took 2 VitaMarins last night because I had one of those, did I take that already moments? I couldn't remember so I took one. I still have no idea but I doubt it's going to hurt me. Today I was an organizing machine maybe it is working already! lol - I also ventured out and tried my first Paleo recipe, sweet potato and bacon salad. Yummy!

Day 3 - Same dose or was it? I might have taken 2 packs of VitaOne because I couldn't remember if I took it during lunch time or not so I took it at night just in case. Clearly I have memory issues. Today was blood donation day at our local church. I have trouble with iron and some times if my count is not high enough I can't donate. Today I was able to without a problem so that is a plus! I attempted another Paleo recipe (this time for pork chops) but I didn't have all the ingredients and all of the instructions didn't print out. lol - Welcome to my world.

Day 4 - Note to self: You wouldn't have to worry about taking double doses of anything if you just keep up with the checklist you were given. That is all. :)

Day 5 - Loving the chilled Limu! I take my VitaMarin with it! My blood donation results came back. I'm 3 points higher in my cholesterol level than my last donation but my blood pressure is way down! That's great news. I'm feeling really good! Something you might notice during this challenge would be the color of your urine. Warning! It's going to change colors. I'm guessing that is how you will know it's really working. lol

Day 6 - Staying health conscious on this challenge and hunting for more Paleo recipes. It's tough because a lot of the ingredients aren't part of my every day use. I need to hunt for these things at the grocery store. I need  to get better at meal planning. I'm back to my Rx during my Crossfit work outs. I'm feeling really good and healing from surgery nicely. Only two more days of the same doses and then we get to mix it up again.

Day 7 - Still going strong with the challenge and keeping up with the check list now! lol

Day 8 - I'm on my last Limu Plus Mini - Boo! I really love these little bottles because they are so easy to just grab and go. It's time to put my bottle of Limu Plus in the refrigerator to chill. I like them cold personally.

Day 9 - Fell off the wagon yesterday and today with my eating habits. It's really disappointing but I'm not dwelling on it. My 2 week work out challenge with Drill Sargent Daniel Aralik is over. I have a lot of things to check off on my list. I didn't have any packets of Crave today. That might be the energy that I'm missing today.

Day 10 - I'm really missing those little bottles of Limu. Busy day today so I opened up a packet of Crave and got so much accomplished! Feeling good.

Day 11 - 14 Feeling great! Lots of energy and recharging. I'm really excited to see what day 28 is going to feel like. 

Day 15 - Super excited about the new Facebook Contest! Everyone is showing off their photos. It's not too late to start the challenge.

Day 16 - Powered up with some Limu this morning right before the 5K. Feeling refreshed. Wish I could have gotten more sleep though. The kids were playing musical beds. 

Day 17 - Day 28 Challenge is complete! Let's check in with the rating scale on my assessment.

General wellness average to excellent
Quality of sleep low to excellent
Stress tolerance low to average
Digestion quality average to excellent
Energy Levels average to excellent
Overall Focus low to excellent
Quality of mood average to excellent

Now those are results that I was NOT expecting. I have made lots of changes in my diet, exercise and morning routines. Could these also be variables that play a part in my better assessment? Sure! Change is great. I know that I'm doing great things for my body. I do feel recharged. Love the check list, the products and the evaluations. What a challenge! It was hard to stay on track with the mid day vitamins but all in all I was able to remain on track. Would I recommend it to my friends? You bet! I would also recommend changes in diet, exercise and creating new routines. Thank you Vitamark for putting together a great package.

This is not a compensated post by Vitamark. I am journaling my personal experience with their products during this challenge. Click on those "Like" and "Retweet" buttons to share with the online community. For current events see the side bars and click on the "Add Me" tab above to connect with me using other social media services.

Flipping The Switch

During the #RunHades challenge something really cool happened. I killed 4 birds with one stone. That's right! I'm a former night owl turned "Morning Person." How did I do it? During the #Runhades challenge I chose to log one mile a day when I wasn't running a 5K. Near the very end because of the heat I decided that mile would be in the morning before anyone got up out of bed. I set my phone alarm for 6am and then set a back up alarm for 6:30am. I would wake up, roll out of bed, get dressed, drive to the track and get one mile of running, jogging or walking in all before consuming any caffeine. The back up alarm would go off while I was at the track so this really helped me to make sure I was right on schedule. It wasn't easy at first but doing it three days in a row formed a habit. I was back before anyone was awake and I was on this sort of natural high. It was awesome. I didn't need that caffeine fix to function first thing in the morning. My body was doing everything for me. I was able to run the mornings in our home like a well oiled machine. The second week I set my alarm for 5:30am and set my back up alarm for 6am. The kids start school soon so if I want to get my half hour in I have to get up even earlier. So far it's working! Did I mention that I'm going to bed earlier too? I'm actually managing to get 8 hours of sleep. I feel like a whole new person!

If you would like to try flipping your switch try this:
Figure out the best time in the morning to get your one mile run, jog or walk in.
Set those alarms!
Roll out of bed, get dressed and get your 1 mile in. Whether you need to drive to a track or just do it in your neighborhood.
Arm yourself with water.
WARM UP before you take off. I'm inserting the Lunge Matrix video as your warm up.

Lunge Warm-Up from CoachJayJohnson on Vimeo. Thanks to Abe Cortes for this tip!

If you can run it will really get you hopping in the morning.
If you can jog it will still get you going.
If you have to walk, then walk fast. It's the speed that kicks you into high gear.
This should take no more than 30 minutes including your warm up.
Try it for 2 weeks and let me know if it flipped your switch!
Tweet me using the hashtag #MorningMile

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#RunHades Is Right! - It's HOT

My sense of adventure is in full swing! Today I have to wonder what the heck I was thinking signing up for this virtual "half" marathon. I love a good challenge but this Texas heat is a scorcher! I checked the weather report when I got home from today's run. The heat plus the humidity makes it feel like 107 degrees outside. No wonder I felt like was going to burst into flames.

I'm trying to finish up this challenge in any way that I can. My three kids have all sorts of places to be at different times so if I'm able to get one mile in then I have to be content with getting that one mile. This Saturday I have a 5K coming up so that will help me log miles. I'm worried. The best I can hope for is that with it being so early in the morning it won't be as hot.

Nike DriFit pants are very HOT and should NOT be worn during the summer time to run or work out in. Now I know. The photo isn't that clear because of the humidity. Can you believe it? Kudos to those of you still moving through out the summer. What a great virtual challenge! It's not too late to join us. If you are interested please click here to be taken to the Hotter Than Hades Virtual Challenge.



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@GruntStyle - I'm Over & Out!

Meet Drill Sergeant Daniel Aralik Founder & CEO of Grunt Style LLC. He and Leah designed a two week challenge for the Mamavation crew. I'm sure you have seen some of my tweets or details on Facebook and Daily Mile about these work outs. It's kind of hard to miss with titles like "Puke Me Please, Sore Winner, Paralyzed" and my favorite "Sweat Monster!" 


For weeks I've been trying to keep up. I was doing great the first week but then I had to double up on work outs to prepare for surgery and healing time. I finally got back on track and finished it out. Here is what I know for sure about this challenge! It's no joke. As a person that spends at least 4 days a week in a Crossfit gym this was tough. This challenge left me working out 3 times a day for the last 3 days of it. It was tough to get through it. My little one was no help on some days. She kept trying to ride my back or get underneath me. A challenge for sure!

Personally, I found it easier to do these work outs when I was already warmed up. My favorite time to do them was after a Crossfit work out. My times were really good but they began to suffer when I wasn't warmed up. Also caffeine is my crutch. When I'm juiced up, I'm a power house. I don't feel aches and pains. As you might have guessed I pretty much stay caffeinated with Energy packets of Crave and pain relievers like  Bayer back pain which also has caffeine in it. Epsom salt baths are my best friend. I haven't tried the ice baths but I think they may be coming soon. I'm super sore.

My burpees were strong for the first few and then I would need to modify. My kids were copying me some days. They are always watching! Because I had some weaknesses during this challenge I'm going to work on them daily. Push ups and Burpees! Daniel didn't put Erasers in the challenge but those are also very weak. I'm going to design some way to work on these daily until I can master them. I've got a lot of work to do! I get to measure in the morning and find out if there was any change. Special thanks to all of you who have supported me during this challenge.


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#Mamavation - Body Fat Analyzing

You know when we have those weeks when the scale isn't so kind to us? When we have worked out and eaten right and still the numbers aren't what you think they should be? Over the last 15 months I've had that happen a lot on a weekly basis. My Mamavation Monday posts have read that way several times. Normally the response will be ,"oh you must be gaining muscle!" Well now I get to find out the real deal!

My Crossfit gym Crossfit Unity Seabrook is kind enough to offer their members for free, a full DEXA (Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) scan. It's part of their Spring Slim down challenge. We go in and get scanned and for 6 weeks we get our Crossfit work outs in, make good food choices and then come back to see how what we have done is working! I'm so freaking excited about it that I just can't contain it. What's in it for the winner who loses the most after 6 weeks? Bragging rights! What else? No longer will I have to wonder about the muscle weight. I'm going to know a ton of information.

"A relatively new technology that is very accurate and precise, DEXA is based on a three-compartment model that divides the body into total body mineral, fat-free soft (lean) mass, and fat tissue mass. This technique is based on the assumption that bone mineral content is directly proportional to the amount of photon energy absorbed by the bone being studied.

DEXA uses a whole body scanner that has two low dose x-rays at different sources that read bone and soft tissue mass simultaneously. The sources are mounted beneath a table with a detector overhead. The scanner passes across a person's reclining body with data collected at 0.5 cm intervals. A scan takes between 10-20 minutes. It is safe and noninvasive with little burden to the individual, although a person must lie still throughout the procedure.

DEXA is fast becoming the new "gold standard" because it provides a higher degree of precision in only one measurement and has the ability to show exactly where fat is distributed throughout the body. It is very reliable and its results extremely repeatable; in addition, the method is safe and presents little burden to the subject. Although this method is not as accurate in measuring the extremely obese and the cost of equipment is high, DEXA is quickly moving from the laboratory setting into clinical studies." - courtesy of new-fitness.com

Sunday I will get a full report! I'll keep you posted how this 6 week challenge goes. Wish me luck!

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#Shred Challenge with @JillainMichaels

OK @JillianMichaels let's dance! @MiddleAgedJock and @Elenka29 are working the 30 Day Shred with the #shred hash tag on Twitter. I'm a little late for the challenge but I'm totally up for it. It's nearly the end of the year and I want to kick it in high gear as much as possible since I'm still not running, doing #TaeBo or #Crossfit YET.
In the mean time I would love to lose 20 pounds in 30 days. I'll post my progress here.

**************Starting Over**************

Day 1, 1/11 - Level 2: I was hoping that I wouldn't have to modify but I did. I did crossfit training this afternoon and when I got home I thought I could keep up with Jillian. HAH!!! No. I have to figure out a better schedule to complete this challenge. It's hard to find the energy to keep up. I'll figure it out though. Either way I'm back on the wagon.
Day 2, 1/12 - Level 2: Good Lord they were against me today. They tagged teamed me, my two year old and puppy were not having it! I jump and the dog jumps, of course he got jumped on so he moved away.

But the next time I got on the floor to do ab work he would lay down on top of me! Crazy dog. I still did the work out. When I got to the leg lifts holding the hand weights he decided it was time to go for my ears. Then I would move on to something like thrusters and then the two year old would get under me. Then she would get on my back to ride me like a horse! What the heck? Mom's gotta get her sweat on. I certainly did and I think they added to the work out. Next time the dog is going in the crate! The two year old???? I don't have a crate for her. lol - I'm just going to have to keep working around her.
Day 3, 1/13 - Level 3: I did NOT want to work out with Jillian today. I'm super sore from boot camp yesterday. I already work out at least 5 days a week but I wanted to kick it in high gear to bust through this thick layer I've developed. Any way since I didn't want to work out I decided it was time to kick it up a notch and go to level three. I'm so glad that I did. There is nothing like a good challenge. Then it occurred to me! I've been in boot camp at "The Y" for a year now. In the very beginning we use to do the shred workout. I remembered these moves and I could do them then so I can do them now! Awesome. I'm glad I changed it up because I was really getting bored with Level 2. It's not that it isn't hard because it is but I get bored doing the same thing every single day. I might just bounce around the different levels to keep myself interested for 30 days.
Day 4, 1/14, Level 3: I put the dogs outside! The two year old was a total drill sergeant! Up Mommy! Down Mommy! Get up Mommy! Lay down Mommy! Geez...

It really is a challenge to work out at home! She is laying on top of me and then she sits on me! I mean come on girl and I'm still doing my work out.

Then she jumps in and joins me. I have to get a better schedule for this so I can knock it out undisturbed.
Day 5, 1/15 - Level 1: Feeling lame for dropping to level 1 but I'm super exhausted. It was nearly 9pm and the last thing I wanted to do is this video but it's over. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Day 6, 1/16 - Level 2: I should not have felt lame for doing Level 1. There is so much more cardio in that level. It's getting a little easier each time. I'm super tired and gross with sweat. lol - I swear they are using like 2 pound weights in the video.
Day 7, 1/17 - Level 2: One week down! Only 23 more days to go. This is such a tough challenge. I feel that all 3 levels are tough. I can't seem to stick with one level for more than a couple of days out of boredom. Today I put out a tweet to randomly pick a number between 1-3. @notdiyheather tweeted 2 so I rocked that level today. I had an audience because the kids were home from school. They were cheering me on!
Day 8, 1/18 - Level 1: Good lord I want to just die! lol - ok that's too extreme but that was tough. It's almost 10pm. I DO NOT recommend working out with Jillian at the end of your day. I try not to do that but some days it can't be helped. I had to go without hand weights today because I was in the crossfit gym earlier today. We were doing lots of lifts and kettle bell swings so I couldn't lift my 5 pound hand weights. Just couldn't do it. I did complete the work out though. I forgot to note that yesterday my 4yo told me that I should take off my shirt while I was working out so I wouldn't sweat so much! ROFL....
Day 9, 1/19 - Level 2: @Rachel_L has picked my level today. I'm so bored with this dvd already. I have no idea how I'm going to spend another 21 days here. A challenge is a challenge. Ugh! This crazy dog is always messing with me during my work out.

Day 10, 1/20 - Level 3: Totally modified tonight. I hate working out with Jillian at the end of the day but I'm having another one of those days. *sigh* I made it through. I'm thinking about kicking up the hand weights to 8 pounds on this level because it feels to easy. Now on Level 2 she does that chair sit with a V lift and those are just awful. I'm so weak on those. Either way it's over! I'm so hungry right now. It's dinner time for me.
Day 11, 1/21 - Level 3: My daughter decided I should do this again. I did but it was mostly modified again but I did it. It was hard with her riding on my back and getting underneath me while I'm trying to do mountain climbers. I do find it is soooooooooooooooooo much better to get it out of the way in the morning! 
Day 12, 1/22 - Level 1: I was going for more cardio today. I did the elliptical at the Y so I was trying to burn even more calories! So far so good.
Day 13, 1/23 - Level 3: My boys were going to work out with me and then chickened out at the last minute! What the heck? I moved up to eight pound weights during this work out. It was tougher but doable! I seriously worked up a sweat. I still have a hard time with the traveling push ups but even on my knees I can get really close to the ground. Feeling strong!
Day 14, 1/24 - Level 1: My sons were watching and critiquing. I told them they needed to join me. Then they said, "no we are just cheering you on." My 10 year old did a little bit of it and then he would rest. Come on! It was tough too because it was around 8pm. I do not like working out at night but I did it.
Day 15, 1/25 - Level 1: I'm sticking with level 1 again because I'm so tired already and it's after 8pm again! Arg! Oh well, it's done.
Day 16, 1/26 - Level 2: My dvd player is no longer reading the disc! WT???? I don't know if it's all levels but I cleaned it and retried it 3 times. It's almost 10pm. I guess I'm not suppose to Shred tonight or at least get past the walk out push ups. Arg! I was doing so well too.
Took the day off 1/27. - The dvd is dead. I think if I did this for 14 more days I still wouldn't lose 20 pounds. I think there are some key things that go along with the diet that I'm missing. I've been to her site but I'm at a loss to find the plan. It's all good though. I work out plenty and I have to admit that Jillian did kick my butt but I'm ready to let her move on. lol

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12/16 - Day 1, Level 2: Following the girl in red mostly. I can't do the jump twists or the thrusters yet. I did an hour and 15 minutes of cardio before hand and the 100/200/200 work out. You can see my challenges in the right side bar. I was pretty tired once I got to the dvd. I need to work out a better time to do this if I plan to hit this daily for 30 days. After all it is only 20 minutes of my time. Surely, I can sneak it in, right?
12/17 - Day 2, Level 2: Tried this first thing in the morning. Normally my kids would prevent me from working out but today they joined me! Hilarious. I also did this work out without my hand weights. I couldn't find them but I promise I still broke a sweat. I also got on the scale. I'm gaining weight like crazy! 181 to start. Enjoy the video footage.

Day 3, 12/18 Level 2: Tried a 6:30am work out. Not a bad way to start the day. I still can't find my hand weights. I did get those plank jacks down. I have more energy though and the kids are all still asleep. This may be the way to go every morning! If I can manage to get out of bed early. Wish me luck.
Day 4, 12/19 Level 2: Sick, sick, sick! I tried this after eating lunch and taking 10 vitamins. That was such a BAD idea. I feel sick to my stomach. Oh well, I made it through for 20 minutes. Although my dog was zero motivation. She was laying next to me on the floor while I was doing ab work!

Day 5, 12/20: Took the evening off. I couldn't move after boot camp.
Day 6, 12/21: Again took the evening off. I couldn't move after Tae Bo.
Day 7, 12/22:  Level 2: No excuses. I found my hand weights. Good lord she nearly killed me. I'm doing a lot less modifying but I had to take a lot of breaks today. I'm super sore from all the work outs. I think those ladies are using 1, 2, or 3 pound weights in that work out. Seriously! Mine are 5 pounds and it's a tough work out. I can tell you this, I always break a sweat with her work out. I have promised myself not to move on to Level 3 until I'm not modifying anything and I don't have to take breaks.




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