FNL - Secret Garden

I was sifting through some old CD's I hadn't listened to in a while.

I grabbed a couple on my way out the door to go to work 

yesterday morning.

I popped in a CD

and this song came on...

I listened.

I listened again.

I hit REPEAT

and

just

kept

listening.

This is one fabulous song.

It is my FNL tribute.

(...and that SEXY sax solo...?...ooohhh)

The Good Stuff

I have a ton of music channels on my Pandora account.  My mood dictates what station I select.  Lately I've been listening a lot to the 80's station.  I rarely have to tap THUMBS DOWN.
The good stuff...it just keeps coming.  

And so does my heart smiles.  

I remember.  

I dance in my head.  Oh, and I may just even ... DANCE.  Wherever I am.  

Because it just feels right.  The music takes me to that happy place. 

That elusive happy place.

That place on my happy list.

Wherever that is.  My heart knows...

Last night I was out for a walk around 8:45.  It was almost dark.  The night air was unbelievably refreshing.  Just an outstanding evening for a walk. 

The sky was awash in blue-jean-baby-blue...

washes.......of blue and gray and white and navy. 

I drank it into my soul.

And on my Pandora app...the song playing?  In the Air Tonight.  Phil Collins.

Now that is a sexy song. And the PERFECT song for my evening walk.

My favorite part of that song is the percussion crescendo towards the end.  

It is the purest definition of a pinnacle of ecstacy.  

An explosion of delight

ne plus ultra

A great way to end my day.

Obsessions

I figure I have two more years to prepare an Easter Bunny basket -- Colton will graduate in two years from high school -- and then my empty nest will truly lie empty of "eggs" ... chocolate bunnies... and gummies ... and jelly beans.  Yes, I know.  He's too old for baskets?  Never.  Can't traditions live on?

And even though my sons like their chocolate, they far prefer the "gummy" stuff --the gummies, skittles, fruit chews, jelly beans ...

Me?  I could totally pass up the gummy stuff any day of the week.  It pretty much does nothing for me.  Way too sweet for my tastes.  Give me my chocolate!  And I especially love a mix of chocolate and coconut ...oh, sweet mercy sakes...different story.

Speaking of jelly beans, my husband asked me, "So where's MY Easter candy?" Translated:  "Where's my jelly beans?"  Again.  Traditions.  I usually buy him a bag of jelly beans -- at least one -- every Easter.  Avoiding eye contact, I told him he doesn't get any this year because he's getting too old, too fat, and and he never goes to the gym or works out.  Yep.  I was blunt.  I was.  I smiled when I said it, but he knew I was dead serious.  Tough love.

I survived the holiday food and pigouts for the most part Easter.  By middle of the afternoon Easter Sunday, the sun bright and hot, I'm out on the patio pidding, thinking -- look at me, I've eaten clean and on plan all week, all WEEKEND ...EAU YEAH, EAU YEAH... peacocking around, so proud that I'd not caved to crappy food debauchery.

So much for my gloating grandstand.  Out of nowhere, around 5:30 it hit.  I was starving!  And then the cravings hit.
I ended up eating two handfuls of Tostitos -- the Fiesta flavored ones?  OMG, they're SO CRUNCHY AMAZING.  And a cookie -- BUT a little one!  Oh, yeah, and a rather BIG serving of the banana pudding that I'd made for Colton for Easter dinner dessert.  (I wanted to just dive head first into that heavenly fluff!)  So.  Not horrible, but bad enough to send my blood sugar soaring ... taunting me for more. Enough to entreat that little meanie, hopping up on my left shoulder, whispering in my ear..."What a shame...I just chew around on all the bland and boring healthy food and everyone else gets to eat the good stuff, the chocolate, the pudding, the chips, the candy, the rolls....such a shame...poor me..."

I fought it for a while and eventually decided on doing some light cardio.  Cardio always makes it easier to calm the cravings.

I'm glad it's back to normal today, my blood sugar.  I've eaten on plan all day and have pretty much had very little carbs to speak of.  A very low day in carb rotations, which works like a charm after a cheat day (high carb day).  Granted, they weren't the best choice of high carbs, but I think they served their purpose. All is calm today.  Smooth sailing.  Appetite in check.  Energy good.

I did 30 minutes of cardio this morning and then finished with about 25 mins of a giant set for upper body -- lateral raises, shoulder presses, tricep extensions, bicep curls, and bent over rows.  I did 8-12 reps of each exercise, no resting in between exercises, then I rested for one minute after the circuit.  I repeated the circuit for three sets.  Love those fabulous BURNS.  Just wear.it.out.  Obsessed...nah.

A little bit of cardio on tap for tonight in between loads of laundry.

I stayed the same weight on the scale this week, which kind of pissed me off a little, but I knew that it wasn't the full story.  All my clothes were looser this past week than the week before -- YES, THEY WERE! -- and I was feeling tons leaner.  That awesome "zoned" feeling.  That look-at-me-I-got-this-nailed kind of leaning.  That scale number is just a stupid little number that tells me nothing.  I wasn't gonna let it discourage me.

I KNOW what I'm doin... mova outta da way, world.  I got this.

A Lamb's Cry

Stretching My Boundaries

For the last two or three years I've had on and off pain and discomfort in my posterior hip/glute area, towards top/center hip.  It was mildly annoying, and would flare up without warning, last anywhere from a few minutes to several minutes, and then resolve itself.  As flareups became more frequent and intense, I learned that a few sets of high knees and/or step ups on a bench would help to alleviate the soreness and I'd be good to go.  

Lately, the flareup has not gone away.  It's become more frequent (every few days or so) and it lasts longer, returning even after I do the exercises that have helped alleviate the soreness before.  I suspected overtraining and not enough stretching (both before and after) had caused the symptoms to escalate.  I knew it was time to take this a little more seriously.  AND STRETCH!  EVERY DAY!  NO MORE EXCUSES.  

In my research, I've now learned that the "spot" that has been giving me the problem is my gluteus medius muscle, and that I likely have a degree of piriformis syndrome.  I was able to find some videos online demonstrating piriformis stretches that can help to alleviate and relax the strained/inflamed muscles.  It is suggested to do these three x a day for best results to relieve the soreness, and then every so often to maintain the flexibility.  Ironically, many of these "positions" or stretches are part of the Callanetics exercises ---- that HAD I BEEN DOING MORE REGULARLY would have likely alleviated the flareups, or at least their frequency.  HEED THE CALL, T.  Hit the floor and STRETCH!

These are the main four stretches that help with this problem,

along with contemporaneous hamstring stretches.

So this morning at the gym, after 18 mins of steady light cardio -- not too much resistance on the elliptical -- I began with piriformis and hamstring stretches, then I did the following leg and glute workout, far less weight than I normally work with, but increased reps, and very slow and controlled movements.  Each set was followed by a set of stretches, alternating each set of exercises with a set of stretches, for a total of 40 mins.  

• Leg press, 30 reps, 90 lbs, 4 sets
• Single leg press, 15 reps each, 35 lbs, 3 sets
• Donkey kickbacks/lateral kicks/heel to ceiling pulses on a bench, 12 reps per side, 4 sets, each followed by child's pose
• Hyperextension stretches/hold, bodyweight, 8 reps
• Single-leg glute bridges on a bench, body weight, 15 reps each, 3 sets
• Single-leg squats with foot on bench, bodyweight, 20 reps per leg, 1 set

When I left the gym, I noticed my gluteal muscles that HAD been tight and painful were feeling warm ... and relaxed ... and .....well, yummy & pampered!  Though I had worked the glutes, hams and quad muscles, they felt supple and warm and relaxed.  I had not gotten my heart rate up as high as I usually do when working lower body musculature, but my mission was specific -- more about therapy and healing.  

I've learned a few things about my body.  I've learned I can't take flexibility and range of motion for granted.  I can't cut corners.  I'm not as young as I used to be and recovery is not a given.  There will be hell to pay if I don't take the time to stretch both before and after my workouts and my running.

My running will be on hold for a while to allow time for this to pass, giving my muscles some time to recover and heal.  Is it an inconvenience?  Yes.  But it's a very good lesson learned.  

Oh.  And I will be sure to incorporate my Callanetics routine EVERY single week, without fail.  No excuses.  My personal best health and fitness goals depend on it.

Da Vinci

I can't let this day pass by 

without honoring one of the greatest geniuses of 

Renaissance.

What beauty his creations

have added to our world.

happy birthday,

Leonardo da vinci

April 15, 1452

Just a Little This and That

I'm more than a little bummed today that it's windy, cold and snowing.  It was beautiful and summer-like both Saturday and Sunday.  Twitterpating temps!  What is this white stuff?

I chose to be the renegade instead, putting on my pewter wedge sandals, sand-washed gray denim skinny jeans and long white cotton button-down shirt, a breezy and summer-like casual ensemble more fitting for, well, summer.  But my boss is on vacation and I knew I would not be in contact with the public, just our office staff.  I was in a dress-down mood today, feeling totally sassy with my new color and cut, and this crappy weather wasn't gonna stop me.

Recapping the weekend in snapshots...

My son at Saturday's track meet--

Mercy, it was beautiful weather!

Spent Saturday cleaning and shining the screened porch...

My honeysuckle vine that I added,

along with little white lights

Unwinding at dusk with beverages,

candles & music

Love all the subtle lighting 

that surrounds our porch haven at night

Look! A sweet little bird nest I spied in the tree by the porch!

Chessie -- who needs a haircut even more than I did!  

SHE LOVES ME!

Day is done...