Life is full of suprises

Today was my very last upper body workout for Body for Life! So I decided to increase the weights on all the exercises and really push it for this one last time. Here is what I accomplished today, which would have been way beyond my reach 12 weeks ago:

• Incline chest press: 12x 15 kg, 10x 17.5 kg, 8x 20 kg, 6x 22.5,kg and 12x 20 kg


• Chest press: 12x 22.5 kg


• Shoulder press: 12x 7.5 kg, 10x 10 kg, 8x 12.5 kg, 6x 15 kg, 10x 12.5 kg (could not do the final two reps!)


• Side shoulder raises: 12x 4 kg


• Pull over machine: 12x 30 kg, 10x 32.5 kg, 8x 35 kg, 6x 37.5 kg, 12x 35 kg


• One arm row: 12x 9 kg


• French press: 12x 3 kg, 10x 4 kg, 8x 5 kg, 6x 6 kg, 12x 4 kg (I knew I was going to drop the dumbbells on my head if I tried this with the 5 kg, so I bumped it back down to 4!)


• Standing tricep extension: 12x 8 kg


• Biceps incline curl: 12x 3 kg, 10x 4 kg, 8x 5 kg - and by this time my arms were really shot from all the hard work and I knew the 6 reps at 6 kg was going to be out of my reach so I finished with 12x 4 kg


• Hammer curl: 12x 3 kg + total exhaustion and jello arms!

Phew!

Then, and here's the surprise, I biked over to my travel agent to book a trip to.... San Diego! I am so excited - it turns out that our family's schedules, ticket prices and the stars have all aligned to make it possible for me to attend a family wedding there this fall - woo hoo! I can't wait - I have never been to the Pacific coast, and my only foray into California was a day trip to Death Valley when we were in Vegas two years ago. So I am really looking forward to seeing sunny southern California, spending time with my parents on our road trip from Dallas to San Diego, and seeing all the extended family at the wedding whom I haven't seen in years and years. The only down side is that Stefaan and the boys won't be joining me this time...

Two Rainbows, BFL + Push Your Limits

Last night a storm blew in and cooled us down a lot - we were amazed to see a beautiful double rainbow (just like Jenny the other day!) on the other side of our street. I was also amazed at how I could really feel the Nordic Walking workout in my abs and back last night, and my legs were more sore than usual from the weights.

Normally I do an interval run on the treadmill on Tuesdays to fulfill the Body for Life HIIT workout requirement. But I was looking at the "Push Your Limits" options and one of them was to bike 10 km, so I figured that would probably take me about 20-30 minutes and if I included intervals in it, it could substitute for the HIIT run. And then I could also get a stamp on my card!

So I got to the gym and told one of the trainers I wanted to do the 10 km biking for Push Your Limits, so we picked out a bike and he programmed 10 km in and I got started. I decided to do the same thing as with my HIIT runs: increase the level of intensity every minute, five times, and then go back down to the first level and start over, and just keep doing that until the 10 km program was done. I couldn't believe how much I was sweating! I hardly ever use the exercise bikes at the gym because I figure I bike enough just to get around town, and I prefer running for the higher calorie burn, and the elliptical because it uses your whole body. But I still got a really good workout today, if sweat is any indication!

Then I got my card signed - two activites down! - and headed home. Now it's off to buy the boys some new clothes for school.

And last but not least I'm hoping to maybe win a pair of Crocs - Denise at RunDMT is having a giveaway at her blog - check it out!

BFL Day 78 & Surprise at the gym

So...I biked over to the gym, another hot day today, it was already warm enough at 10 that I could bike in my sleeveless workout top. I got started on lower body weights. As I was doing my leg curls, my Zumba class teacher came up to me and asked if I wanted to join the Nordic Walking class she was going to hold at 11. You see, my gym is doing a special program called "Push Your Limits" where they are offering special classes and activites the next two weeks and you can get a card stamped each time you participate in one. If you get five stamps, you win a prize! And I think there will be a drawing with people who do all ten activities for a grand prize.

First I was like, no, thanks, I don't have enough time, I have to finish my workout and head home... So she moved on to ask some other people and as I moved on to my calf exercises, I thought, why not? Stefaan was home today with the kids, so there really wasn't any reason not to do it. So I found An and asked her if she still had a spot, and she did! I had just enough time to finish my Body for Life workout (I was a bit concerned about my legs being super tired, but I thought, whatever!) and then An showed us how to hold the Nordic Walking poles correctly, we did a short warm up in the group lesson room and then we headed outside! We walked all the way along the Leuven canal to the big railroad bridge and back - it was so fun to be out in the sun and fresh air for a change, even though it was pretty hot. I had never done Nordic Walking before so it takes a while to get the hang of the right technique, and it is quite a workout for arms and shoulders. We were out for a good 45 minutes, and then headed back into the gym. I got my little card stamped and took a look at the schedule for the other activities - now that I've got one stamp I might as well try to get a few more, right?

Then I came home and when I saw my horoscope on my email, I thought, how true! And I was even more glad I tried something new today.

Here is what my horoscope from Daily OM says today:

Your confidence level may be high, which may encourage you to challenge yourself today. Feeling like you are able to achieve anything you set your mind to can motivate you to try things you hadn’t thought of before. Perhaps taking calculated risks could move you in a direction where you will grow, learn, and develop your talents. If faced with the decision to go beyond your usual comfort zone today, you may want to think about what you can gain from trying something new. Picture how your life may change for the better as you move forward and get away from your usual routine. Drawing strength from your abilities and your assurance in yourself could fill you with the courage you need to take on new challenges.To develop positively we must conscientiously face things that will test us in new ways. Doing the same thing each day keeps us in a routine that will not expand our knowledge or expose us to things that may introduce us to different ways of doing and being. Releasing ourselves from the confines of what feels safe, however, provides us with new opportunities to try out different things, learn from our mistakes, and grow more deeply. This allows us to gain greater insights into ourselves and the world. By taking risks and pushing your limits today, you will discover new parts of yourself and your environment that will not only stimulate you but also help you grow as a person.

Heatwave in Belgium

As I type this it is 34° here (93°F) and we are on lockdown in the house, trying to keep the heat out and some semblance of cool in. This means opening all the windows early in the morning and strategically closing them as well as the shutters as the sun moves around the house. Then we will open things up again as the sun goes down this evening.

No running for me today, too hot! Even my gym would not be an option, no air conditioning there either. Hopefully it will be cooler tomorrow for my first Zumba class, I don't intend to miss that!

Just said goodbye to my friend from Slovenia who was visiting us this afternoon, we just stayed inside and talked, and then tomorrow family from the US will be coming in for the weekend. They have never been to Leuven, so it will be the big tour of our town on Saturday. Luckily the heat wave will be done by then. Phew!

BFL Day 73: Killer Legs

It's going to be a hot day today, they are predicting 33°C, so I was glad I didn't have to run, only weights. I got off to the gym bright and early and realized I had forgotten my little cheat sheet listing all my exercises and weights. But actually by now, having done ten weeks, I pretty much know what I have to do, so I got started. The leg press at 100 kg was a killer today - after I finished everything my legs felt so wobbly I could barely get down the stairs to my bike. I do think the biking home is a good cool-down after lower body weights, but it's not easy!

At home, I made my new post-workout smoothie I have been enjoying since our trip to Blueberry Fields:

• 1 cup blueberries
• small handfull fresh spinach
• two scoops protein powder
• half cup or so of soy milk
• 1 T ground flax seed
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 packet of Truvia

It looks nasty, but tastes quite good!

BFL Day 72

I convinced Felix to join me at the gym this morning but I had to wait until his favorite morning show was done before he would come, so we got started kind of late, but I didn't mind too much as I was in one of those good cleaning up moods and kept very busy until we could leave. Plus the HIIT run takes such a short amount of time, which is a real bonus sometimes.

So we got to the gym, I got Felix settled on a bike right in front of my treadmill, and got started. One of my friends was there and she got on the treadmill next to me, luckily towards the end of my run, otherwise I would have felt kind of rude just ignoring her to finish out my intervals! I can't believe I am in my last two weeks of this challenge. Last week I was getting kind of sick of it, but now that I only have a few more days left, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

After my workout, Felix picked out a movie to take home (you can borrow DVD's for free at our gym) and then I noticed a sign: starting on Friday there will be a new Zumba class in the morning!! I am really excited because I had been wanting to try this class, but I never go to the gym in the evenings. Also it will be taught by the teacher I really like. Just the ticket to give me a much needed boost of enthusiasm. And since I have upper body weights on Friday I can easily combine it with the class. Anyone ever tried Zumba? I'd love to hear what you thought of it.

Barefoot Park

In lieu of a run, we opted for an unusual workout yesterday - a hike in Barefoot Park! This is a special trail intended for people to walk, you guessed it, barefoot! We had done one several years ago in Germany and I still vividly remember how sore my legs were after that experience. So I knew it was a great lower body workout, using muscles you normally never use when wearing shoes.










We really enjoyed our morning (especially the coffee and cake at incredibly inexpensive prices - 1.50 for a coffee, 1.20 for a slice of any pie/cake - at the little snack bar afterwards) and after cleaning off our feet we decided to go to Maasmechelen Village, an outdoor outlet mall, which was not far off. We did some shopping, mostly for the boys plus a new suit for Stefaan - I did break down and got a pretty top (it was only 7.5 euros) for fall. Then it was our favorite Italian restaurant for dinner and then the long drive home (long in Belgium = 1 hour).

This morning it was Day 71 in Body for Life for me, and upper body weights. I was glad it was only upper body weights, for some reason that seems the least daunting. I got up later than I intended and headed off later than I like, but got it done and now this afternoon have to get some cleaning done as we are expecting guests at the end of the week.