That Place In Your Head

I had never heard of Jackie Warner but the title pulled me in since I've never had a personal training session and wonder whether or not I should sign up for a few.

I later learned from a coworker that Warner had a show on Bravo. Chalk my unknowing up to that fact that I don't have cable tv which I go without in order to maintain other elements of my luxurious (not) lifestyle.

I didn't really pay attention to the As Seen On TV. Although, the silver shorts and the six pack did capture my attention. I popped the DVD in and haven't looked back since.

If you wear glasses while you workout, don't -- at least not while you're doing Jackie Warner's workout because they are going to get all wet and slip and slide off of your face.

Personal Training with Jackie: Power Training Circuit is no-frills and Warner gets to the crux of the matter in no time starting off with a light jog, kick squats and chain breakers for the warm-up.

I also like the presentation. Before the actual routine, there's a screen to let you know what you're about to get into:

Quads
The Moves:

Sissy Squats

(done while standing on weights)

UFC (a drop, get on a knee, get up and crouch, get down again, then up sequence)

Front Lunge

Power Burn

I think that I heard myself whimper through the chest and back portion of the program. Ditto for abs. I'm doing a straight leg crunch in the picture and because Warner hits the abs so thoroughly, I had to really tune in when she was saying, "Go through the burn; believe it or not -- after awhile it gets numb."

While it didn't get numb, it definitely helped to be talked through the rough spots. There's also a point when she says go to that place in your head...

Here's how Warner hits the abs:

Upper Abs


The Moves:

Straight Leg Crunch

Legs Up Crunch

Tall Sit Up

Power Burn (Repeat of Straight, Legs Up, Tall Sit)

Lower Abs

Reverse Crunch

Tummy Tuck (oh, the inhumanity)

Single Leg Jack

Power Burn (Repeat...)

Obliques

The Moves:

Sumo Side-to-Side

Windshield Wipers

Side Plank

Power Burn (Repeat...)

I've come to really like this workout even though I know that it requires stepping up to the proverbial plate. I know that It's going to be rough but it's good to be challenged, right?

When you're doing a challenging workout, what is your self-talk like and what's one of your favorite workout DVDs?

Are You A Hustler?

Me: I feel like I'm really getting my butt kicked today.

Patti: That's strange; I usually feel it in my arms.

Har dee har har...My belay partner has such comic timing...

The butt-kicking and tender hands are courtesy of some routes that I have not been able to ascend or have not tried at all. I am so done right now. After I got down from Festival of Britain and Somebody Done Told You Wrong, I told Patti that I didn't know how she did it. I never found the technique, balance or solid *ground* to ascend those routes with continuity.

Route Tally:

Sponge Bob, 5.7

Bright Idea, 5.8

Hallelujah, 5.8

Let's Talk of Spaceship, 5.8

Rainbow Bright, 5.8

Chag, 5.9/5.8

Beware of Bats, 5.9

Festival of Britain, 5.9 (Can you say barn door and rainbow climbing ?)

Somebody Done Told You Wrong, 5.9 (take after take got me up the route)

There was this trio of women who took Rock Climbing 101; they squealed and giggled almost the entire time they were there...

Okay, who saw the women's French Open? I don't watch much tennis but that was one of the most exciting tennis matches that I've ever witnessed. I immediately noticed Samantha Stosur's body. She has bulging biceps and thighs and her body has this completely symmetrical aspect to it. Then, I looked at Francesca Schiavone's body and her biceps and thighs are athletic but not as pumped as Stosur's. One of the commentators was saying how Stosur's body could be an intimidation factor for other opponents.

The match was tightly contested and, at one point, one of the commentators said that Schiavone was a hustler. He was right. That woman was sliding all over the court and, passionately, giving it her all. It was a joy to watch her play and, in many ways, I do think she out-hustled Stosur.

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

Are you hustling during your workouts and are you having fun?

Congratulations, big time, to Francesca Schiavone, the first Italian, oldest woman (at 29) and first non-top 10 seed, to win the French Open.

What Not To Read While On Jury Duty

I took Cathy Erway’s book, the art of Eating In: How I Learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove, with me when I reported for jury duty and I read it for almost two hours before anyone’s name was even called for a jury panel. I never imagined that my wish to get in more reading time would be granted in this manner.

Erway starts off her book by recounting a tale of a friend, Ari, who was looking for an apartment in New York.

One place had no kitchen and when Ari asked about it, the realtor said “This is New York – everyone eats out!” (1)

Erway’s book is based on her blog Not Eating Out In New York. She starts her experiment with one cookbook and a passion for cooking and dabbles with bread in the beginning; her Peppercorn, Potato and Parmesan No-Knead Bread ends up in a tie for best overall bread at The Brooklyn Kitchen’s “No-Knead Bread-Off.”

In the chapter “Getting Dirty: Trash Diving, Freegans, and Frugalistas,” Erway dumpster dives for, in most cases, perfectly good food that gets thrown away. Janet Kalish, an organizer of such freegan outings, points out to a French reporter that bread is one of the most wasted foods in New York:

“I’m sure you know that in Paris, if you go to a bakery toward the end of the night you’re picking through the last crumbs left on the shelf, maybe a croissant here, one last roll there.” The reporter nodded and scribbled. “But here the attitude is to always have fully stocked shelves.” (81)

Erway also realizes that in the process of eating in, she reduced her “garbage footprint.” (116)

Regarding garbage, Erway notes that:

China produces 45 billion pairs of chopsticks each year, which accounts for an annual loss of roughly 25 million trees and a deforestation crisis that in 2006 prompted the Chinese government to place a 5 percent tax on disposable chopsticks, in the hopes that businesses would begin using and reusing washable chopsticks instead. And yet, most still haven’t. (128)

An adventurous eater, Erway consumes dried cricket snacks and tripe along the way and she also attends a pig butchering class. Speaking of tripe, I didn’t realize that a cow had seven stomachs. Learn something new every day, hunh? Erway mentions how many Americans have a disconnect when it comes to the neatly wrapped meat they purchase and the animal that it originated from.

I’ve found that many people are horrified or offended by the sight of raw meat with telltale signs of the animal it came from, such as a quail with its feet still attached that I once cooked for friends, or a whole fish cooked and served with its head still intact. (222)

I completely related to Erway when she is baffled by her mother’s invitation to a restaurant. Her mother is annoyed and thinks that her daughter has become too invested in her project:

I could…meet up with them at the restaurant, sit and talk, but not eat? (258)

Erway decides to eat with her mom and uncle and I love it when she describes her meal and a favorite of her mom’s:

I spooned a knife-scored piece of squid into my mother’s rice bowl since I knew it was her favorite. (261)

After two years of not eating out, the author decides to have an opposite week and eat out for every single meal. She also decides to weigh herself before and after opposite week but, as she noted in the book, she is one of the lucky ones whose weight pretty much stays constant no matter what she’s eating.

I like that Erway found common ground with her dad through cooking. She wins third place out of five in a Chili Takedown competition with a recipe called “If I Had A Pepper.” In the book, she shares a recipe similar to the “If I…” one called “Four-Pepper Pulled-Pork Chili,” a recipe that her father tries to emulate.

Erway’s mother tells her:

“It’s like he never knew you before or something,” she said, after telling me that my dad had reported having a good time that day. She’d been slightly surprised by this. (309)

Earlier in the book, Erway says that her parents were skilled at finding superior Chinese restaurants and the experience was better if more people came along since there was more to sample.

According to my father, it’s completely not worth it to have dim sum with two people…(14)

Even earlier in the book, Erway talks about the evolution of eating out.

If national trends continue at the same rate, eating out will soon eclipse the home-cooked meal altogether. Eating out is also a habit that gets passed on to subsequent generations, something of a dominant gene. (7)

When the author’s parents were growing up, she was surprised to discover that they ate out but, as her parents informed her, eating out was a special occasion.

I decided that I liked that way of treating a restaurant meal: as something special. A special occasion, or a special dish you couldn’t easily make at home. (268)

Is there a special dish that you go to a restaurant for? A particular food that you enjoy sharing with someone? Some food that you won't share? Got a stash?

Have you gotten closer to someone as a result of your fitness journey?

OR

One of Erway's former boyfriends gets annoyed with her 1:00 a.m. blogging habit. Anyone get irritated with you for blogging?

Free-For-All or Month-End Review, May

I enjoy taking a look back at the month that was. Now, this enjoyment typically refers to exercising but, in all honesty, there were other non-exercise joys.

And you are enjoying your exercise, aren't you? Exercise is the icing on my cake, the non-fat cream in my coffee, the full moon in my sky, the water underneath my boat and the wind beneath my wings. Okay, it also makes me quite goofy...

I usually have a couple of set days for a certain exercise; otherwise, it's a free-for-all. I'm in Kate's Cardio and Muscles class on Tuesday and rock climbing on Saturday or Sunday unless I'm lucky enough to get in extra climbing.

I didn't go to Cardio and Muscle since my girl Kate was on vacation. I took this opportunity to shake up the routine. I also plan to kick things into a higher gear. Gingersnapper had this post about getting in extra exercise that resonated with me. She talked about how the back of the parking is seldom populated and the irony of trying to find the parking space closest to the gym door was not lost on me. Now, you'll frequently find my little Mazda at the far end of the lot. Join Gingersnapper and me at the back of lots?

Here's how I got physical this month:

10 Minute Solution: 5 Day Get Fix Mix

Power Yoga, 1 x

10 Minute Solution: Dance your body Thin!

Dance Toner, 1 x

Smooth & Sexy Moves, 1 x

10 Minute Solution: Tone Trouble Zones!

10 Minute Stretch, 6 x's

10 Minute Solution: Quick Sculpt Pilates

Buns and Thigh Sculptor, 1 x

Standing Pilates Sculpt, 1x

Bicycling, 13 x’s


Mowed the Lawn, 3 x’s

Personal Training with Jackie: Power Circuit Training

40-Minute Total Body Circuit, 2 x's

15-Minute Upper Body Circuit, 3 x's

Rock Climbing, 4 x's

Rowing, 1 x

Stair Climbing, 5 x's

Step Interval Class (with Stacey), 1 x

Swimming, 4 x's

Treadmill, 2 x's

Walking Outdoors, 6 x's

Yardwork, 1 x

How was your May and what are your plans for June?

Something Amiss

I did something to my shoulder while rowing and, while the pain is not intense, there is something amiss. I took Aleve for about three days which didn't alleviate the tenderness. Actions that cause me to move gingerly include:

Belaying (taking out slack with left hand/arm)

Lifting my bike out of the basement (duh)

Parallel parking

Putting on an article of clothing

Towel Tug of War (left hand at lower back, soap in the middle and right hand at upper back)

You really don't miss your water until the well runs dry.

When I went swimming on Tuesday, I didn't stay for very long since any stroke that involved back (crawl, elementary backstroke...) was out of the question. If I were more confident with the front crawl, I would have stayed longer.

I'm assuming that I tweaked my shoulder because I was port side while rowing and my left arm is unaccustomed to handling a heavy load.

I went rock climbing last Sunday and I went again today. It's a very weird situation in that I can climb without feeling discomfort unless I'm over gripping.

I guess this is just another reminder to fully appreciate when the body is working in concert.

If you look closely, you can see that Patti has her right ankle wrapped. She sprained it during an encounter with a brick while gardening about two weeks ago. I joked with her that gardening is far more dangerous than rock climbing. Patti, if you're wondering, got her doctor's permission to climb. I also know that Diane's Training... has been exercising while not completely up to par. So, I'm going to keep on keeping on and if something doesn't feel right, I'll just stop.

A newbie, fresh out of class, walked over and introduced herself and climbed with us for awhile. Patti provided back-up belaying while Susan (the newbie) got some practice. I love rock climbers; they are such a welcoming bunch or am I biased? :)


Route Tally:

Beware of Bats, 5.9
Bright Idea, 5.8
Chag, 5.8/5.9 (hunh?)
Face Plant, 5.8
Hallelujah, 5.8
Rainbow Bright, 5.8
The Seven, 5.7

Hope you all are having an active and enjoyable weekend...

The Gospel According To Juror #612

Jury duty was another reminder to take care of myself. The case centered on a 69-year-old man who, in the words of the defense, had a complicated medical history, smoked more than a pack of cigarettes a day in addition to being a frequent consumer of beer. His last stint in the hospital was for femoral bypass surgery. He had several diagnoses including, peripheral vascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and had previously undergone surgery for carotid stenosis.

I spent seven days with people who, before that point, had been total strangers. If I had to be on jury duty, this crew was the one to endure civic duty.

I leave you with some words from the woman who sat next to me in "the box:"

I zoom past the produce, Juror #612 informed us as we talked about blueberries and mangoes.

She has four or five cans of sweetened condensed milk on standby.

Kids make own grocery list and will not be allowed to consume anything purchased that did not appear on said list, including lemon meringue pie made from items on mama's list.

Dislikes even one brown spot on bananas and is not crazy about soft apples either.

Strawberries are the bomb as long as they're at room temperature.

Lunchbox: Spiderman (only one available at the time)

Inside of lunch box: small bottle of Tabasco Sauce along with fried chicken et al.

Comment of the week: "You apple eaters are getting on my nerves," Juror #612 said as she took care of her Papa John's slice.

I don't do alone -- thoughts on Division 12's solitary cell that we walked past on the way down to the courtroom.

I'm going to the zoo this weekend just to get a funnel cake; that's it. Going to the zoo and not getting a funnel cake is like going to Six Flags and not getting a turkey leg. It would be like going to Louisiana and not getting crawfish.

Just like milk, we all have an expiration date.

After we were dismissed from the trial, there was a brief break in the rain as we walked to the parking garage. I told juror #612 that, if it started raining again, we could make a run for it to which she responded, "Now we sat up there and watched you eat Greek yogurt; I'm not running. I don't even run to the bathroom when I have to use it badly."

Another juror, #635, told me that if anyone dies of soda consumption, she might just be the one and she would, happily, go gentle into that good night if soda is the cause...

During our last meal together, I asked Juror #635 if she were an abuser since she told me that her husband had scrambled to cut the grass the previous day when she arrived home early. He thought she was angry because she didn't kiss him before she left. Only, she was running late and, therefore, no time for a parting kiss.

I had my suspicions that #635 might be a nipple-twister à la Carrie in The King of Queens (03:25) but, really, the cross-examining had just gotten to me at this point and I was starting to suspect people of all manner of crimes and I had so many objections that it wasn't even funny.

Farewell fellow jurors and goodbye Citygarden...

Swimming It Off

I'm hanging out over at Midlife Swimmer's place:

Have I let you drown yet?