Somewhat Lazy Sunday

Wow, what a great day. I slept until...wait for it...1 o'clock. Then I moved all my books, knick knacks and clothes into my new Ikea dresser and book case. Look, aren't they beautiful? Isn't Isaac the best for helping me pick them up?


Then I skipped on over to the gym and put down an awesome workout. I walked 1 mile on an ever-increasing incline, up to 10%. Then I leveled it back out and jogged a mile. Then I alternated 30 second sprints with 1 minute jogs for another 1.5 miles. I wasn't really too winded, but I really enjoyed doing it.
After that treadmill session, I did a back/arms & shoulders/abs workout. I just kept circulating between the assisted pull-up machine, the weights station and the mats.
All told, I was at the gym for about 2 hours.
I was also starving. At home I blended a banana-peach protein shake while I mixed up a lemon-dijon marinade for a skirt steak. Let it marinate for about 40 min while I showered and cleaned up, then seared that slab-o-meat in my French oven. With a little walnut & spinach salad...delicious!
Did I get any studying done today? Well, no. But it was worth it.

Still 2 weeks left, remember?

That'll teach me to check out early. I did a fantastically mediocre job on my cell bio test today, after putting in a equally mediocre study effort. After all, I've scored a 111 and a 107 on the last 2 tests, so this one? Ehhhhh, whateverrrrr. Well, that'll teach me. The professor went over the test immediately after we all turned it in, and I kept thinking "Huh, missed that one. That one too. Well, at least I got the next one right - oops, spoke too soon." I'd say I learned my lesson, but it's the last test I'll ever take in my regular season college career, so who cares?
Sadly, I do still have finals. You know, the semester post-season.

After shrugging off my poor test performance, I tootled over to the gym. I had an hour and a half to burn before spin class, so I went a little crazy on the weights. Arms & Shoulders, yeeeeeaaaah buddy.

I've also discovered my new favorite machine: The assisted chin/pull-up machine. I'm not quite strong enough to do a chin-up or pull-up by myself (which is maddening), so this machine is a fantastic place to start. It provides a weighted platform that you kneel on, so you don't have to lift your full body weight. Brilliant! I'm a big fan. I've had my eye on it for a while, but finally got the gumption to approach it this week. Yay for checking off "Something New" from my weekly progress menu!
Right now, it's the main focus of the "back" portion of my Back & Legs workout, but I'm also going to incorporate it into Arms & Shoulders. With enough work, I might be able to work up to a chin-up or pull-up all by myself! Imagine that.

Dog & Pony Show, No Dogs Allowed

Here's a short video of Tucker and me doing the really big jumps. Actually, they're tiny, but he's so much fun, that I enjoy doing just about anything with him! We were at a clinic with Don Stewart, a very successful and famous trainer. Mr. Stewart gave us this exercise to practice extending and shortening our horse's stride - it was awesome!

Hell Week

This week marks my last truly bad week of studying, because I fear not Finals Week. No seriously, Finals Week is manageable. For one, the tests are cumulative, so I already know it. Two, I have an entire week prior to prepare, without any assignments are other irritating interruptions. Three, there's that light at the end of the tunnel that always powers me through. So yeah, Finals Week? Eff you, Finals Week. You don't know me! You. Don't. Know. Me. What!
But like I said, this week was bad. Even though I only had two exams and one homework assignment (well, one monster homework assignment), I had a hard time fitting it in between my two part-time jobs, doctor's appointments, job searches, etc. Too many things going on. But now it's done.
Well, almost done. I'm looking over at my Weekly Progress menu and thinking to myself, "Self, you're a fat slacker. You've still got 2 cardio workouts and 2 toning workouts and that Yoga X that you love so much. Oh, and two days to do it in."

BRING IT

Cramping My Style

For the first time ever, I cramped up in spin class tonight. And in the oddest place: my abs.

I am actually "team teaching" in my Cycle Abs class, which basically means I'm training a new instructor. She's awesome and she's an Alpha Gam, which you know, makes her double awesome. Anyway, my little padawan taught the second half of class today, and she started off with a bang: sprints. She alternated 30-second sprints with 1 min recoveries, for a total of 6 sprints.
Now, I've worked really hard to improve my sprinting game, because I used to be a straight hill climber. I couldn't hold a 10 second sprint to save my life. But with weeks of speed interval training on the bike, road, and stairmaster last spring, I actually turned it around. At one point, I found that I couldn't climb hills well anymore, but could hold a flat-out, fly-til-I-die sprint for, well, a helluva lot longer than 30 seconds. Totally unnecessary, so I backed off a bit on the speed training. And apparently I've lost my touch again. By today's 4th sprint, I was huddled over the bike, gritting out my sprints. Rather than pushing my legs, I was tensing my whole body and core to power through the dash. Voila! Core cramping. Time to get back to the speed training.

Which leads me to what my "Sprint Session" is:
30 sec spring
1 min recovery
...for 15 minutes, for a total of 10 sprints.

You can do this on the bike, stairmaster, or road. The treadmill doesn't work great because it has a long response time when you alter the speed, but it can be done. This is a killer workout, and will totally alter your speed capability within a few weeks.

I don't like it when people say, "I've never been a sprinter". Well, neither was I! I also used to think I would always be the slow and deliberate tortoise. I'll probably never wear the green jersey in Le Tour, but with a little simple tweaking to my cardio regimen, at least I'm not doomed to wear those awful polka dots forever.

Although they're kinda cute in sock form...

Full of Femenine Rage

Whoa, buddy, was I on a rampage today. I'm not a moody kinda lady, but you know you're barely penning in your rage and exhaustion when you have this conversation with your professor (who also happens to be a graduate department bigwig):

Professor: "Well, I'm afraid that's my grading policy."
Me: "Well, that's a crappy policy."

Yikes.
Put that bizatch on a leash, Kelly.
It's time I reevaluate my fitness schedule, because I clearly need to vent some negative energy. Right now I'm just fitting in workouts whenever I can, and I end up doing whatever I feel like. I've lost all structure in order to accommodate my hectic academic and teaching schedule. I basically can't say, "Monday I do this, Tuesday I do that" anymore, because my schedule is drastically different every week.
Instead, I'm going to make a list of workouts I need to do each week. Doesn't matter when I do them, so long as they get done. Heck, I could knock them all out by Wednesday and spend the rest of the week drinking all this wine left over from Wine Club.

Here's what I'd like to do:

• 2 Indoor Cycling Sessions (teaching counts)
• 1 3-mile run or Cardio X DVD
• 1 sprinting session (will describe later)
  
• Legs & Back toning
• Arms & Shoulders toning
• 2 Ab Ribber sessions
• Yoga X DVD

That gives me 4 cardio, 2 weight-lifting, 2 core and 1 yoga session. I think this is do-able. And if not, then at least I know what will fall through the cracks (*cough* Yoga X *cough*). I'ma give this a whirl for the next few weeks.

In case you're wondering, I did get points back from my professor. But I think he was just afraid of the blazing fire in my eyes.

Make me wine.

Per request, Melon Mint Sangria. Although I've added a little extra booz to this punch, I got the original recipe from Everyday Food by Martha Stewart, one of my most favoritest cooking mags. It's small, but mighty. Enjoy.

MELON MINT SANGRIA
1/2 honeydew melon, balled or chopped into 1" cubes
1 lb cantaloupe, balled or chopped into 1" cubes
1 lb seedles watermelon, cut into 1" pieces
3/4 C fresh mint leaves
1 bottle cheap Sauvignon Blanc
1/4 to 1/2 C melon flavored vodka or melon schnapps
1 L ginger ale, chilled

Stir together everything except the ginger ale. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
To serve, stir in ginger ale. Serve with ice on the side.