Crossing over to Fitness

This morning, I took my first CrossFit class. Had I done some serious research into what it involved before buying a Groupon for it, I might have talked myself out of it. Even though I run and have done several races, I've never considered myself very athletic (see recent guest spot blog on this).

But I can't pass up a good deal as a way to try something new ... I figured, it worked well for hot yoga so why not?

Our class is 3 mornings a week, but I had to miss Monday due to Buddy having a dental appointment. I wasn't the only person in the class of 5 that had to miss Monday, which made me feel less nervous. Our instructor, Krista, was super patient and encouraging. It's 3 gals and 2 guys in our class, and we are all at different fitness levels.

The first move we did after warming up was a "sumo dead kettlebell" or something like that...basically, I had to lift a kettlebell from the ground up to my shoulders in a clean jerk, while not rounding my back. I'm pretty sure that's the cause of sore quads about 14 hours later.

Then it was time for the WOD (Workout of the Day): a 250m run around the building, then shoulder presses for the remaining minutes, with 3 minutes rest in between. I did 13 the first time, 14 each of the next 2 sets, for 41 total. I was about in the middle of the pack on reps, but the lightest on weight (25 lbs). I'm sure that will change as the classes progress.

It was over before I knew it...a quick and dirty 45 minute workout. But it made me feel so strong! I was proud of myself for not punking out when it got tough, and can't wait to see what the next class brings, and how my muscles will look when the class is done in 3.5 weeks.

It never hurts to try something new...though my muscles will probably argue that one tomorrow.

Take it easy...

This weekend was my first weekend without plans nearly all month. Since returning from vacation, my days have been more action packed than I thought ... but then, June always is a little busier than one thinks and the real "lazy days" come to light in July, at least in my world.

Sitting at the end of the weekend, I am singing the praises of 48 unplanned hours. It was GLORIOUS. We slept in, worked out...I even read a book for fun. It was a much deserved and needed rest after a month of accomplishments, which culminated in my CFRE exam on Friday. I thought about going into to work to get organized for the week, but a quick peek at my calendar showed I'd have plenty of hours in the week to log paperwork...so I resisted.

Turns out, taking vacations, and even short breaks from our daily routine, is healthy too. Research proves this could be just as important as exercise and a healthy diet.

So since I did promise more Me/We time this summer, you can bet I'm pretty excited that of the 5 weekends in July, we only have one commitment, our nephew's 5th birthday party. We have no other plans, and I'm going to work really hard to keep it that way. I have a busy fall ahead, and if I don't cool it on Saturdays and Sundays now, I'll konk out in the middle. And that would totally ruin my half marathon training (which starts July 23).

So, when's the last time you took it easy?

What's healthy: Me and We time

Adam and I recently returned from our "summer" vacation...we spent 6 days back at the site of our honeymoon 10 years ago, El Dorado Royale in Puerto Morelos, Mexico (appx 30 mins south of Cancun). Though our anniversary is not until July, we have more flexible work schedules now and didn't want to mess with any threats of hurricanes.

It was absolute paradise. Not only did we have gorgeous scenery and great weather, but spending time together without the hustle and bustle of daily chores, work and other activities was such a treat. The three weeks prior to the trip were especially hectic...I am holding down two departments at work due to an unexpected vacancy, plus with trying to wrap everything up for the end of the Junior League year, get ready for the trip, study for my certification...let's just say I'm grateful Adam pitched in a lot at Casa Burns and did not complain.

I spent some time on the trip, and in the days since (I don't return to work until Wednesday) evaluating how I would handle the day to day moving forward to incorporate some aspects of the Me and We time I so enjoyed. Perhaps it was the salty air, or maybe it was after reading The Long Run about the NY fireman who recovered from a horrible bike accident to run marathons again...but something was nudging me to take a step back and think about how life is short and priorities have to be set and enforced by ME.

Typically, summer is an easier time, schedule-wise. Campus is quiet, and it tends to be our planning season for the next school year. Volunteer commitments still exist but are minimal compared to the school year due to family vacations. It made me realize if I could work so hard on all these other items, why not take this "bonus time" the next few months and work on Me/Us??

So I have recommitted myself to a fitness plan. In fact, I've already worked out 8 days straight. If I can keep it up at least through July, I'll have a new workout streak record. While on vacation, I worked out in the morning (first thing or right after breakfast) all days but two, and one of those I got an afternoon workout (the other was the day we flew in and travel took the good part of that). So as much as I hate getting up early, I'm committing to morning workouts. Already got the first one tackled today and the clothes out for tomorrow's gym trip.

I've also recommitted myself to healthier eating. Since Sunday, I've been tracking Weight Watchers points again. Right now, I'm trying to get used to writing what I bite again, but we did load up on fruit and veg on Sunday's grocery trip, and I'm doing a better job of having fruit and/or yogurt as a nighttime snack. I came back from vacation up about 4.5 pounds and have shed 1.5 in just 3 days by watching my food and exercising. (I KNEW some was bloat!)

Part of this is more meals at home...and that means cooked at home, not picked up on the way home. This is where some of that WE time comes in. With less nights out for commitments, we can plan a whole week's worth of meals together, take turns cooking them and enjoy them together. I've already cooked 3 times this week...possibly more than the rest of the month combined! And there's nothing like family time enjoying a meal together. (Not to mention...this will make leftovers for healthier lunches!)

I'm also going to cool it but not totally restrict alcohol and sweets as I had PLENTY on vacation. That was actually the point of my challenges...I wanted to go without before so I could enjoy on vacation. But it's time to get those indulgences back to what they should be...treats, not everyday menu items.

So instead of getting in shape FOR summer, I want to be in shape by the end of summer...which happens to be my next birthday. In the long run, the gift of health is the best one I can give to Me/Us. I have a good 13 weeks. Let's see what can happen! So who's with me?

How Sweet It Isn't

It's been 15 days since I've had sweets. I have passed up candy, chocolate, cookies, cupcakes and yes, my beloved orange rolls. I'm exactly halfway through my 30 day challenge.

I will admit, as I suspected, this is harder than giving up alcohol. Sweets are EVERYWHERE. For example, your co-workers don't keep a flask on their desk and invite you to take a swig. Just like the last challenge, the first week or so was spent noticing how often I had access to the offending items.

And much like the last challenge, I've noticed a little substituting. This time, it's more crackers and bread products to replace some of the desire for dessert. I am working to re-implement my fruit as desserts plan to help with this part.

But for the most part, this isn't that bad of a challenge. I know it's short term, and I think we can take on any challenge for a short period of time ... much like my current experience at work, where I am temporarily running both the development and marketing teams in the college due to a vacancy. Sure, it's been extra work when I already have a bit on my plate to catch up this month before summer hits. It's a little stressful. But it won't last.

I am a big believer in challenges making us stronger people. As long as you learn something from the process, it's not a total loss. It's like my injuries ... I end up becoming a stronger athlete through them. Or my allergies ... sure, I've lost some ground on the workout front due to illness and then treatment, but it's work it for the long-term gain. I will say the alcohol challenge has kept me focused to stay at a very healthy 1/day average in the two weeks since completion.

And speaking of exercise, April was my worst month to date this year. I took 10 days off and logged about half as many minutes as January (my best weight loss month of the year). I've decided I need to work on consecutive days again and upping my minutes as my responsibilities lessen over the course of the coming weeks. It's a matter of always observing and fine tuning oneself.

I'm liking these mini-challenges. I think they help build a greater awareness of balance in life. I think when I finish this one, I may take a short sabbatical from social media...maybe just for a week. Would be fun to see what life would be like disconnected, but that's probably as long as I can manage since my work and volunteer lives require some level of usage.

Looks like we made it...what's next?

I will admit, the last third of my 45-day abstinence from alcohol was a bit of a breeze. Finding substitute beverages, plus other ways to be social or unwind, were a bit old hat. Top it off with going through rush immunotherapy on day 37 (which means absolutely no drinking the days before and after either), and I think I only would've had about 5-6 drinks in these two weeks -- one with some awesome steaks Adam made on day 32, two on day 35 to relieve stress, and then one again on day 44 for the same...and maybe some wine at meeting on day 43 and a beer or 'rita with fish tacos after our Leadership class road rally on day 45.

Estimated drinks skipped: 32 for the 45 days. That's not even 3/4 of a drink per day, affirming the "but you don't have a problem" comments I got from some when learning of my self-imposed fast.

Sure, I am not addicted. But it doesn't meant there aren't negative effects on my health that I wanted to test. I estimate saving 3200-4800 calories over these past 6.5 weeks. That's a good 1-1.5 pounds I did not gain! Sure, I did not really lose weight...but I have maintained the 5 or so pounds I lost between semesters. Usually, I have a 3-5 pound gain each semester, take it off in between, add it back...so I believe I am out ahead.

Not to mention, it's helped my finances. I have probably saved a good $160-320 on not having those drinks out (estimated $5-10 per drink, knowing some would have been had at home for cheaper). And saving money means less stress, which is always healthy!

So what's the plan when I resume drinking later today? I want to be more conscious of what I drink and when...mostly for the calorie count. My goal is to only allow myself a drink if I've worked out 30 minutes minimum that day. That seems fair since it's a simple equation of calories in v. calories out. It may help me get back to my 300 minutes per week plan.

I've also decided it would be fun to challenge myself to give up other "sinful" items throughout the year, to reset myself. This has been a great experiment in learning my relationship with foods and drinks I enjoy perhaps too easily, so I'd like to extend it.

So what's next? No sweets for 30 days, starting today. No chocolate, no ice cream, no cookies or cupcakes, not even my beloved JL orange rolls. This, I think, will be harder than the alcohol. Sweets are everywhere. It's acceptable to walk around munching a cookie. It's not acceptable to walk everywhere with a drink. What I have going for me is we don't keep a lot of them in our house, so it will be mainly sticking to not buying any, and not having any at luncheons etc.

It will be fun to see what impact this one may have on my weight, as I know I enjoyed quite a few sweets during Lent in lieu of a drink. All the more reason to give this a try.

Rush Immunotherapy

For those of you that are faithful Facebook followers, you already know that spring 2011 has been an allergy season of epic proportions for me. I'm not the kind of person who is sick often...maybe, I miss about 2 days a year total. This March, I missed THREE days due to allergy issues. That's not normal. So when I went in for allergy testing, my allergist suggested I'd be a great candidate for shots. I'm allergic to most grasses, trees, dust, mold etc...just enough that therapy might provide some relief. I had the option of regular build up...which would take 6 months and start out with 3 sessions a week for 10 weeks. Or I could do rush immunotherapy, which involved a full day of intense treatment, and then I'd be at the monthly maintenance in about 1-2 months. Knowing my schedule (and the desire to feel relief faster), I opted for the rush treatment. To prepare, I had to take a series of meds the day before, the day of and the day after...this was to avoid any possible reaction to the introduction of so many allergens at once...it's like an intense vaccination process. I had to be sure to hydrate well the night before and morning of the treatment. And I had to wait until the IV was inserted to have my beloved morning caffeine. I have to say, the folks at Allergy & Asthma Associates were top notch. It really felt like a bit of a spa day the way they waited on me! I arrived with 3 bags in tow: blankets (as the room gets cold, and I had to wear shorts and t-shirt to make treatment easier), pillow, lunch and snacks, movies, laptop, magazines and study materials for my CFRE exam (which I'm taking in June, as long as my application is accepted). I had my own private room for the day, complete with recliner. We started by taking all my vitals, including several breathing tests. My favorite was the computer game where I had to blow down the 3 pigs' houses. Then insertion of a tiny IV, which lived in my left arm all day. I'm glad it wasn't my visions of hospital IVs that I'd have to carry down the hall on restroom trips! We then began the series of 11 shots. For each, I got a shot in each arm...with 20 minutes in between each series. Before every shot, my vitals were measured again. It was great to see my blood pressure readings so low for once!

• The first 4 shots were from silver vials, which were mostly saline. The nurse explained that as the vial colors changed, the concentration of allergens would become greater. My nose got slightly itchy after these but this disappeared quickly.


• The next 6 were from green vials. With every new set of vials, I got to verify that they were prescribed to me, which was nice. I felt pretty good after these but a little sleepy...but then, it was close to lunchtime. I felt less sleepy after eating.


• The next 6 from the blue vials made my ears pop a bit. Nothing major or uncomfortable, but doc and nurse wanted to know about any changes as they happened. They were great in constantly checking on me.


• The last 6 were from gold vials. The nurse warned me that these are the ones she'd watch my reactions the closest since they were the strongest. She said I shouldn't be freaked out that she'd be looking closely at my eyes, since that would be the first sign of a bad reaction. After the last set, I became a bit sleepy again. More snacks helped a little.

After finishing the shots, I then had to stay for 2 hours with vitals checked every 30 minutes. During the first hour, I got sleepier and warmer. I could feel my ears get toasty and they said they got a little red even, along with my face getting flush...but that this was completely normal. By the time Adam picked me up, I was still a little flush (enough that he could notice) but feeling good enough to grab a sandwich around the corner before heading home for the night.

About an hour after I got home, I was kind of miserable...I could tell I needed rest, and another Zyrtec as my sinuses felt irritated. The 2 hour nap really hit the spot...but then screwed up my sleep cycle a bit. Really, all my cycles were a bit off. I ate lightly during the day, so got hungry again around 11, then didn't go to bed until 2:30.

I don 't feel too badly today...just tired and a little lightheaded, but that may be more from my interrupted sleep. I am retaining water like crazy...up 5 pounds! But again, may be more likely to my late night meal and little sleep. I'm going to hydrate well today and rest up as much as I can and see how it goes.

Probably the worst part is BOY are my arms sore! Not sure when I will get a workout in, but accepted it may not be until early next week. Not even sure really how much I will leave the house the next few days (took today as a sick day too) but it's a small price to pay for the road to relief.

My next steps are returning in a week to get my next dose. I have 9 to go until I only have to go once a month for maintenance. My goal is to get there before Memorial Day.

The rush therapy is not for everyone, but it was not as bad an experience as I imagined it to be (of course, I pictured the worst).

One month down, two weeks to go

I have now made it a full month straight without drinking alcohol. As part of my experiment, I decided to keep a log of my observations and feelings throughout the process. The first 16 days can be found here.

As for Days 17-31, much of it was riddled with allergy attacks, which left me not even wanting to eat very much, let alone think about the drinks I might be missing. Here's some observations from these two weeks where I did have the opportunity to stick to my promise:

Day 17: I likely would have attended a wine tasting tonight, but made a conscious decision not to when making this pledge. Even if I would have enjoyed the food, no reason to put myself through that kind of torture! But it was a tough day at work and I was exhausted by my post-work haircut. I would have had a glass of wine but opted for coffee instead. Drinks skipped = 1.

Day 18: Couples' night out. We did pick a restaurant (Indian) where it was easier for me to skip wine (and for one of the others to skip chocolate, which she gave up), but I still would have liked to have a glass. Drinks skipped = 1.

Day 20: Two opportunities today: after work gathering with co-workers, and then Adam made spaghetti for dinner, which we usually enjoy with red wine. If I was drinking and had to pick, I would have probably picked dinner's beverage. Drinks skipped = 1.

Day 22: At the end of a 2-day allergy bout, I got a little jealous when Adam grabbed a beer before bed...until I remembered he bought me some ginger beers. It was delicious. Realized I just wanted a festive beverage.

Day 25: Went out for tapas with sis and bro-in-law. If I was drinking, I would have had mojitos there, and then Adam and I probably would have hit the piano bar in the complex for more entertainment (and drinks). Over the course of a long night, I estimate drinks skipped = 3.

Day 27: Volunteer meeting after work. My volunteer "boss" remembered my pledge and made a point to be sure I could have some sparkling water. I really appreciated that! It was festive enough that I didn't miss the wine. Skipped drink = 1.

Day 29: Now that I've made it past the four week mark, realize I don't miss alcohol so much, but do have moments where I miss it intensely. I guess we want what we can't have, right? At this point, I'm starting to think about what my stance will be when Lent is done. I've noticed I attend a lot of functions where it is very easy to allow myself a glass. Beginning to wonder if I should form a framework...maybe only have one if I've worked out that day, or limit just to weekends. I feel confident I can make it.

Day 30: After an intensely stressful afternoon, the confidence almost gets thrown out the window. Adam has restocked the house with beer and red wine. I almost give in, thinking 30 days is a significant achievement. But then Adam reminds me how good the beer with the crawfish he's promised me at the end will be, and I realize I can't give it. It won't be as special! I settle for sniffing the beer bottle.

Day 31: Leadership class day. A lot of my classmates want to know what differences I'm seeing...have I lost any weight etc? I really haven't, but I have noticed I didn't have the big mid-semester weight gain I usually have, so that's a victory. Skipped drink (at happy hour) = 1.

Skipped drink total these two weeks = 8, total = 27.

So two weeks to go. In there, I will have my allergy treatment and recovery, so plenty of time to think how I will return to normal life!