Monday! A day on which I rest and discuss my latest obsession: training for a bikini competition. In my 50's. Ack. I've lost my damn mind.
As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group gives Kossacks a safe place to check in, a daily diary where we can let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wild fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, earthquakes, or other such things that could keep us off DKos. It also allows us to find other Kossacks nearby for in-person checks when other methods of communication fail - a buddy system. If you're not here, or anywhere else on DKos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, earthquakes etc.), we and your buddy are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care!
IAN is a great group to join, and a good place to learn to write diaries. Drop one of us a Kosmail and ask to be added to the Itzl Alert Network anytime! We all share the publishing duties, and we welcome everyone who reads IAN to write diaries for the group! Every member is an editor, so anyone can take a turn when they have something to say, photos and music to share, a cause to promote or news!
We do have a diary schedule. But, when you are ready to write that diary, either post in thread or send FloridaSNMOM a Kosmail with the date. If you need someone to fill in, ditto. FloridaSNMOM is here on and off through the day usually from around 9:30 or 10 am eastern to around 11 pm eastern.
Monday:
BadKitties
Tuesday:
ejoanna
Wednesday:
Caedy
Thursday:
art ah zen
Friday:
FloridaSNMOM
Saturday:
Most Awesome Nana
Sunday:
loggersbrat
I had my first training session with the pink-cheeked little beastie, Tyler, on Thursday. He had me do lunges (hated them, glared at him), three different kinds of squats (didn't like them either, muttered bad words sotto voce) and put me on the treadmill before and after (didn't mind that.)
I can only work out my lower body until my surgeon clears me to work out my upper body. When I stepped off the treadmill, my legs were shaking. I went home feeling that I had really accomplished something :)
On Friday, my assignment was 30 minutes on the treadmill at an incline of 6 and a speed of 3.5 mph. My legs were SO sore. But I listened to some great music on my IPod and the 30 minutes went quickly. Just an FYI, walk-dancing to "Baby Got Back" on a moving treadmill is quite difficult. Best to just do a kind of catwalk walk :)
Going up and down the stairs in my house was torture :( I finally broke down and took a very careful bath in Epsom salts. Ahhhh :) Little better :)
Vivosmart
My
Vivosmart arrived on Friday! It's a fitness/activity tracker suggested by one of my coaches/friends. So aside from my friend from high school who talked me into this, it turns out that ANOTHER old friend is a bodybuilder! I would NEVER have guessed. He's a total preppie who runs a hedge fund in New York. He's 5'9", 149 pounds, tracks everything he eats or does by spreadsheet. Lmao :D Of course he does :) He has given me some GREAT advice regarding diet. He eats 275 grams of protein A DAY. Gaaah. I was feeling pretty pleased at getting 100 grams or so.
This is my twice daily protein shake, except I have switched from Chobani to Activia.
This is the ONLY whey protein that I could find without sucralose or any other disgusting artificial sweetener. It only comes in Vanilla.
I had my second session with Tyler the Torturer on Saturday. This time I did side lunges (meh), step-ups (ugh) sit-downs (blech) and held a metal bar while repeatedly trying to touch my shoes with it. Didn't happen. Then back to the treadmill, this time at an incline of 10 and a speed of 3.5 mph. But only for 15 minutes.
My legs are still really, really sore. Took another Epsom salts bath. I'm not supposed to take baths for another week, so have to be careful.
Sunday was absolutely gorgeous, so I walked well over a mile to the gym, did 15 sit-ups on the slantboard, then walked all the way home. In a serious lapse of judgement, I stopped at the library and bought five books. All hardcover. Had to then lug them home.
Took another Epsom salts bath. Still sore. Not working out tomorrow. Will work out with Tyler the Terrible every Tuesday and Friday. He'll give me assignments for the other days.
This is me in 1985, on Grove Isle (FL) in a bikini and heels. There was some silly rule about shoes and shirts being required at the pools. That is an ex-fiancé's shirt. I also get to wear heels in the competition! Yay! I love heels :) And competition bathing suits are all sparkly and loaded with bling. Lol. Not really my style, but I can deal with it.
I want this body back :)
So...this will require a lot of discipline. I can probably never go here:
sob Maybe I can just inhale the aromas...
I have to start "shredding," so Tyler the Turkey is going to give me a nutritional plan and take away my carbs. The carbs that I like, anyway, such as pasta and bread. I told him that since I am part Italian and part French, I NEED bread and pasta. He basically said, "Tough noogies." I really don't like him. And he is entirely too cheerful.
When I have healed a bit more, we're going to start boxing. Yeah baby!! Boxing is awesome for conditioning the upper body.
These are my gloves and wraps. Yay! Pink!
This will be quite a journey. I don't know if I'll be ready to compete in the novice competition in Vegas on June 22, but I am going to try. A friend posted this on Facebook yesterday, and I am going to take it to heart.
Perfect.
And in conclusion...
Heh :)
Happy Monday, everyone!!