Cathe Fans Part 5

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

This morning was another good workout, and one that I have not done in a while. ICE Boot Camp Circuit + Muscle Meltdown • Biceps.

Laurel, Love the workout combo, and it sounds like you are enjoying it. Sorry to hear that your DH is having trouble with his allergies. I always have problems with goldenrod at this time of the year, I just ends up with endless sneezing. Don't blame you for enjoying the sleep though. I'm sticking with the three rounds instead of four. I just don't have enough time in my morning, but I'm glad to hear that you are getting an awesome workout from it. I'm sure it is a combo of autumn and heat related issues with the leaves falling.

Thelma, Sounds like a great barre class if you where feeling it so good. Yes we have four walnut trees in lot, and they drop tons of fruit each year. DH and I usually rake them onto a tarp, and then haul them into the back yard. There are some on the lawn right now, so I like to stay on top of them so DH doesn't run them over with the mower. One of the reasons that we have Rocket is because of these states that can't handle all of the abandoned animals. Wisconsin is a no kill state, so we get a lot animals transported to our humane societies. Both Rocket and Cami where abandoned in other states.

Have a great day!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! Today I started my workout with Muscle Meltdown Shoulders x4 premix. I am really feeling these workouts in a good way. For cardio, I did a long but not intense combo of Cathe Live Kick, Box and Bags and Cathe Live Kickboxing Plus Core. Both are loosely based on Rev’d Up Rumble with slightly more impact. Good fun.

Thelma, sounds like a great class! Glad you are enjoying them. We are definitely using the AC. But my workout room is the only thing we have on the upper floor of the house, so I keep it pretty warm up there to not overtax that AC unit cooling down a place where we are not. So some mornings, especially those where the temps fall into the 60s, the upper floor cools off below the temperature I have the AC set at so.....no AC for hours at times means more humidity in my workout room. Thankfully I don’t mind a good sweat. I completely agree that the humidity here isn’t at all what I expected.....meaning it just isn’t as humid as I thought it would be. The sun is hot, but the humidity isn’t at all oppressive. The most humid place we lived, by far, was Korea. DH would sweat through his shirt walking across the street. And that is no exaggeration. We both use that as our guide to how humid it is and even in Florida it wasn’t that humid. Thankfully! DH has had allergy issues his entire life and he just isn’t interested in seeing anybody about them. His allergies are so bad I tend to think he is allergic to air.

Laurie, great workout! I think that is the toughest workout in the ICE series. Honestly, I am not sure that adding the fourth set to these Muscle Meltdowns is at all necessary or even effective. So far I have been able to lift the same weight throughout all four sets, but that has me wondering if maybe I couldn’t go a little heavier with doing just three sets, which I think would be more effective. But I started with the x4 premixes, and being the serial completionist that I am, I will do the x4 until the end of the week.

Until tomorrow!

Laurel

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

This morning was another favorite with Rock’m Sock’m Kickbox + Muscle Meltdown • Triceps + Icy Core 1. Felt great to do that kb workout again. We are having some nice cool temperatures this morning.

Laurel, Great job on the workouts! Got to love anything that has kick and box in it, and then based on RUR (my fav). That BC workout was a tough one, and I impressed myself with being able to get through it with no issues. I was sweating buckets though. Glad that you are getting though all of the sets. The only way I could go up in weight with these is by very small increments. Like maybe a pound, because they are making my arms shake at the end.

Have a wonderful day!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! Today’s workout wasn’t at all what I had planned because, at the very last minute—like three minutes into the warm-up—I decided to workout with Cathe live today. And I am glad I did because it was a really fun workout. It was Cardio HiiT and Core. I followed it with Muscle Meltdown Biceps x4, and then, after a little break to clean up the sweat , did Cathe Live Lower Body Confusion, which is a nice, moderate blend of short cardio blasts, weighted exercises and barre work.

Laurie, great workout! That kickboxing workout remains my favorite. It was so hard for me on Tuesday not to go straight from the warm up into the kickboxing and, instead go to Triceps. But I did! On some of these MM workouts, I can go quite a bit higher than Cathe (like in the back workout with one arm rows). But with triceps.....no. So to give myself a little variety on triceps, I used a 30lb barbell for the french presses and close arm presses....just for a little something different since I can lift slightly heavier with a barbell than dumbbells. But today, with the biceps, I had to step back pretty much every round after starting heavy. But whatever I am doing seems to be challenging me because I feel these workouts in my upper body quite a bit. So thank you again for the inspiration!!

See you tomorrow.

Laurel

2BLean

Hi Ladies ~ Well, no I didn’t fall off the face of the earth …. Just seems that way. I ended up being asked to fill in another week of doing Recordings due to other vacations happening within the office. It was such a good feeling to be trusted to continue doing this position. So it has been another amazing week for me and busy. I have loved every minute of it. Next week FORSURE is back to the “same ol same ol” of typing policies and misc. and ?????? but I do appreciate the learning I have had for the last 2 weeks anyway. Only adds value ... right?!!

Workouts have been good. I had a busy weekend and DH took me out to dinner last Saturday since he was back from fishing and it was my Mom’s 1 Year from passing Anniversary. Had me feeling the sads forsure but my sister and I talked on the phone a lot and I was able to ask her some things to help me process some feelings I was having. It really helped. We both naturally feel {still} like we should of or could of done more. I think it is a natural feeling when someone has such a sudden terminal illness I guess.

Workouts: Peloton (of course), BootCamp, LITE Pyramid Lower and Upper last Saturday and Sunday. BootCamp, Peloton and tonight I am headed for an outside ride with my friend Ashley …. Neither of us have ridden since our race on the 3rd. LOL Days are getting shorter and Fall is around the corner so we want to keep taking advantage of outside riding.

I think I told you guys last year that DH was told after having pneumonia that he had “something” in his lung that they saw. A small “tumor” or “fat pad tumor” they kept calling it, non-cancerous but still disturbing. Well he had a follow up CT scan this week and ….. NOTHING … NOTHING is there now. Praise the Lord! We are both so relieved and the doctor was absolutely stumped. Had 3 other doctors look at the before and now CT scans and they are all shaking their heads. I will take it! What great news and DH feels so relieved. He was of course very nervous about it but trying not to be. So I had to share that with you all.

I am sorry I have been so MIA this summer it seems. Next week truly will be back to my normal “quiet times” in the cubicle, with various projects I am sure. So I will be a better “pal” to all of you.

From the brief reading I just did on all of your posts you are doing AMAZING as always with the workouts.

Thelma, what are you doing upside down on those chairs?!?!

Tomorrow is supposed to be one of the busiest recording days we have so not sure if I will check in but will definitely as I said above be back with you all on a regular basis now that it will come to an end for me in this "fill in" position.

Tami

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies, the killer church workout on Tuesday caused me a mega muscle imbalance on my right leg. My knee ballooned like crazy on Wednesday. I almost asked DH to get me my crutches but I was OK with the cane. I could tell that my quads were a little tight and did massage a little on Tuesday. On Wed I did Gentle Yoga and Sculpting Fusion. I went to lunch with some of the ladies after class and by the time we were done eating and had to stand up my knee was killing me. You could see how swollen it was through my leggings. I spent the rest of the afternoon icing, applying heat and massaging my thigh. It was really scary. My knee was much better this morning and tonight I'm back to normal.

No workouts today. I decided my knee needed a break. I did some house cleaning today, made dinner and even a banana-zucchini bread.

Laurie, you've been doing a lot of fun workouts lately! Great job.
DH also used to use a tarp to haul yard waste to the woods behind us when he did the yard work in MA.

Laurel, awesome workouts!
I'm glad you do use the AC at home. I keep the temp at 77 during the day, and at night at 71.
I'm glad the humidity isn't bad in AL. Sounds like Korea is really hot! I definitely couldn't live there.

Tami, great job with those workouts, and congrats for getting asked to fill in for someone else. Thank God for on husband's lung! S o happy for both f ti

Goodnight ladies!!
Thelma

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

This morning was Metabolic Total Body + Muscle Meltdown • Chest.

Laurel, I love that you changed things up to suit your mood, I do that periodically. Sometimes the workout that you chose isn't what you want to do. Sure sounds like you where sweating a bunch. Triceps are my weaker muscle too, and upping the weight is really tough. That is when I start making those scary faces. Your most welcome for the thought to do the one body part.

Tami, Glad that you where able to get on to give an update. Nice that you had an extra week, I'm sure that it was very enjoyable. Great job on all the workouts. AWESOME news on your DH, I'm sure that it is a great relief to get that information. Sorry about the sads with your mom, cyber hugs to you. Hope your day goes well today, those end of the month closings are tough.

Thelma, Sorry to hear about the knee issues, that sounds so painful. Great job with the workout though. I'm glad that DH and I are not the only ones that do the tarp thing.

Have a wonderful weekend,
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! Today’s workout started with Muscle Meltdown Chest x4 premix. I followed it with a fun Cathe Live combo of Cardio Fusion and Cardio Muscle Fusion. I have been dragging myself around by Friday the past couple of weeks but, thankfully, today I feel really energetic! I am trying to tweak my diet just a little bit this week. I think my body might have been wanting a little more protein and with summer heat and all, I tend to reach for less protein/lighter meals. But DH has been craving fish, and that is a nice, light protein, and I think it might be working! Fingers crossed.

Tami, so glad you were able to check in!! I am glad you have been enjoying another busy week at work. I am just sorry it has to end. Great job with the workouts, as always. I am glad your DH took you out on the anniversary of your mom’s passing, and I am glad you were able to talk to your sister as well. I am not sure if the questions (like ‘could I have done more?’) ever go away completely, but I know, for me, as time passes I think of my mom more and more when she was healthy and happy and not as much on those last few painful months and what more could have been done to help her. I hope the same for you. Hugs to you!

Thelma, yikes on the swollen knee! I am glad you are giving it a little rest. Your blueberry zucchini bread sounds fantastic!!

Laurie, great workout! I was making some scary faces doing that chest work this morning. I always start that one thinking I can lift way heavier than Cathe, but then my arms start shaking!! I did manage to do it this morning with 20# throughout, but I took slightly longer breaks between sets to let my arms rest. I still feel it now! Good stuff!

Enjoy the weekend!

Laurel

fitzfour

Hi Ladies!! Happy Monday!

Well, workouts have been good and even better is this fall like weather...I'm in heaven! We've been spending as much time as possible outside and it's been wonderful! To top it all off, our bathroom is done...yay!!! We just have a few small projects around the house and our house updating is all completed! I'm excited for a short week, ending with my son's 16th bday and drivers test and then the long holiday weekend! Maybe I'll get an updated picture for his bday to put on here, as the one I have is a couple years old. Yipee!!

Tami, great to hear work is keeping you busy, and the Peloton too! I went to try out a few bikes the other day and fell in love with the Nordic Track. I guess the software that Peloton uses is made by Nordic Track and the nice thing is you can use your own regular shoes (which is necessary when we'll have 4 different people using it and I don't want to fund special shoes for all!). Now, just figuring out when are are going to get it!

Laurel, your nice warm weather sounds great (for you!) and I'm glad you are enjoying it! Do you ever workout outside to further enjoy the warmth, or prefer indoors? I love working out outside in the fall, but that's about it!

Laurie, I'm so glad to hear you are back to your workouts!! I hope you are enjoying this cooler weather, especially with any outdoor yard work!

Thelma, I'm sooo enjoying my air fryer. We have used it for nearly every single meal since I got it. We've done egg bites, sausages, bacon, shrimp, green beans, apple crisp, sweet potato fries, french fries and so much more. We are absolutely loving it! I am not on Facebook, but I'm finding lots of recipe ideas online! Thanks again for the suggestion on the air fryer!

If I don't get on here again this week, enjoy the long weekend!!

Erika

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies, I hope you had a great weekend. We had a pretty good weekend but I am dealing with flare-ups. On Friday the back of my knees swelled up. It was weird. I used the heating pad and it took care of the swelling. On Saturday the flare-up moved to my right foot. I think I'm getting used to dealing with RA. Not fun.

I went to the church aerobics class today and the lady used the gliding discs. As soon as we got going I felt the muscles tense up on my left thigh tense up. So now I know how I got the muscle imbalance. As soon as I got home I massaged my thigh and it helped a lot. I'm going to her Barre class tomorrow so most like more gliding will take place.

The temps here have been on the cooler side. On Sunday the temps were in the low 70's but it felt much cooler than that. Today more of the same. it sure feels like fall here. We've had a lot of rain tonight.

Saturday is the last day of the challenge. Although it's been fun, now I just want it to be over. LOL

I almost forgot to tell you about the Thai Body Work massage I got on Friday. I have to admit that massages have never been my thing. Maybe because I've only gotten 3 or 4 in my lifetime. I wanted to earn a bonus point for the challenge so I asked one of the instructors/owners to book me for a 1/2 hour massage. This woman is awesome and very strong! Someone told me that if I wanted a hard massage I should go with this lady. Of course, I'm the one who uses lacrosse balls to massage myself, so you know I'd pick this lady! Another lady told me not to let her kill me. I let her kill me. In Thai Bodywork the massage therapist uses more than her hands to massage you. They use their toes and body weight. I was pulled and twisted in every direction. She used her toes to massage my thighs and even my arms. At some point in time, I was on my stomach and I believe she was on her knees over my thighs. She didn't feel heavy but I was OK with it. The most enjoyable part was when she got to my upper back. You know how I've dealt with shoulder blade issues for years now. She totally loosened me up! I've been living with a tight upper back for years. For the first time in God knows how many years, I felt normal. Even my shoulders are leveled again! The lady did ask me if the pressure was OK, so I had the choice of a gentler massage.

Tami, so good to hear from you. I'm so glad you're enjoying your special assignments at work. You really are their most valuable employee! Wonderful news about your DH lung!! Thank God!
I can't believe it's been a year since your mom's passing. I'm really sorry.
I think it's normal to feel like you could've/should've done more. I'm sure your mom feels like you two are the best daughters anyone could've had.

What was I doing upside down on those chairs? My very first headstand! it was part of this yoga challenge we're doing at the studio. LOL

Laurie, that Metabolic Total Body workout is great!
The knee scared me but thankfully I was able to figure out what was going and how to treat it.

Laurel, great workouts! I'm glad you were able to figure out that you needed more protein. I've been feeling that way too.
The knee definitely needed rest. It scared me again today but I could tell when the muscles tensed up today that it was a muscle imbalance feeling. Massaging takes care of that.

Hi Erika, glad your workouts have been good! It's feeling like fall here too! Sounds like have an exciting long weekend coming up! Have a wonderful time!

I'm so happy you're enjoying your air fryer! A lady on the skinnytaste Facebook group calls it her personal chef because that's all she uses now. You're putting me to shame with how much you're using it! Did you buy the baking accessories too? You can even make hard-boiled eggs in that thing. I'm kind of scared of that though.

Goodnight ladies!

Thelma

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! We are enjoying cooler temps here, which is nice. I have given up on my delusion that all these leaves turning is because of dryness. We golfed on Sunday and, boy, did it feel like autumn. And leaves are changing everywhere now. I guess I am not quite ready for it yet but, at the same time, it was really nice golfing at 75 degrees.

For workouts, on Saturday I did Kari Anderson Angles, Lines and Curves. Sunday was LITE Stacked Sets Lower Body followed by Cathe Live Sweat, Jump and Pump. Yesterday was LITE Stacked Sets Upper Body followed by Cathe’s Intensity workout. And today I switched the order of my workouts up and started with Cathe Live Climb and Sprint spin into LITE Pyramid Pump Lower Body and Extended Stretch 2. I have no idea why I felt like doing cardio first today.....but I did.

Erika, I am so glad your bathroom project is finally complete. I know what a relief that is. Glad you are enjoying the cooler temps. No, I never have done a DVD-type workout outside. I am pretty self-conscious, and I would feel like the neighbors were watching (even though they probably wouldn’t be). I am still shocked I made it through the Cathe Road Trip and working out with people.....and enjoyed it! But if we lived someplace more secluded and I had the right porch, I probably would love it....especially for something like yoga. Yay on choosing a cycle! I love my spin bike. Mine doesn’t have workouts, though, which is the only drawback. But it really is becoming my favorite form of cardio as I age.

Thelma, I am sorry to hear about your continuing issues with swelling. It sounds like every day is different, and that has to be so frustrating. Glad you enjoyed the massage!! Like you, I have only had a few but, lately, I am thinking I should try it again. I don’t know if I would want something as tough as yours though! Sounds like you are continuing to do great with your workouts!!

Laurie and Tami, hope you are well.

See you tomorrow.

Laurel

2BLean

Hi Ladies and Happy Tuesday! It already feels like a very looooooooooong week for me. As I knew it was coming, I am now back to the "same ol same ol", mostly typing policies; which is the task I did when I was first hired. My boss thanked me for filling and and what an awesome job I did. That felt good to prove (again) that I can do way more then what they are giving me. All for the experience as I learn more. Who knows what will happen in the future.

Weekend was good, nothing exciting necessarily but good. I did get Bernie in for his nail clipping to the vet. That is an event in itself due to the “mild sedation” drugs they have me give him. It doesn’t take effect fully for like 8 hours and then he sleeps all the time and can barely walk. I decided the girl who did them for the 2nd time and didn’t need him to be drowsy has the magic touch . . . I will just ask for her and not give him the drugs. It is beyond sad to see him like that. DH even agreed after being home and seeing it all unfold for the first time. HE is usually gone fishing or something.

Workouts: Friday, Peloton ride after my very exciting day of 28+ recordings all by myself along with the regular stuff I do. Saturday was ICE Chiseled Lower Body + Peloton Tabata ride, Sunday was ICE Chiseled Upper Body, yesterday I opted for a Peloton HiiT ride instead of BootCamp.

Erika: YAY on getting your bathroom done! I bet that feels so amazing. We have wanted to update/remodel our guest bathroom for like oh I don’t know … 10 years now. The last couple of years DH had talked to a friend who was supposed to do it but continues to just be too busy. So we are going to look into someone else finally. Nothing scheduled yet but still on the “Bucket” list. LOL Great job on your workouts it sounds like and for the fall weather ~ “heaven” I don’t necessarily say that when it hits our area but I do like fall. LOL That is so exciting about the Nordic Track bike!!!! I have seen those and they look so similar to the Peloton. You will love it I am sure.

Thelma: Darn it on the flare ups happening for you Thelma, sorry to hear that. Hopefully the continued massage and barre will continue helping. As always, good on ya for continuing to find what will work vs. stopping all together. That is so good to hear about the benefit that Thai Body Work had on your shoulders. I know you have suffered from that for so long. I bet it was such a relief! You are so sweet to say that about my job …. MVP Employee. I like it. Hopefully my patience will pay off and I will be used in a higher capacity. Doing more and being responsible for more. My mom did say over and over again for years how blessed she was to have my sister and I as daughters. Thank you for the kind words. When you love someone that much you just want to know you did ENOUGH.

Laurel: Sounds like your golf was a really nice day. We are starting to have those lower temps at night that feel so good but still having high 80’s and tomorrow is 92° … still with the cooling off it doesn’t feel as hot. IF that makes sense?!?!

Excellent job with your lineup of workouts, as always it makes me in awe of what you do daily! Way to work. Just love those LITE workouts, so good. I re-visited the ICE workouts a little bit and forgot how great they are. As we always say to one another when we re-visit a Cathe workout. All of them are good. Well minus a few choreography challenged ones for step, only for me. LOL

Hi Laurie 😊

I will check in tomorrow ladies! Have a great rest of your day.
Tami

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies, I finally had a pretty normal day today. Thank you, God!
I went to Barre at the church and it was very good. The friend I walk with at the track was hungry today so we went to a Mexican restaurant for Taco Tuesday. This was my first Taco Tuesday. The restaurants here have Burger Mondays, Taco Tuesdays Wing Wednesdays, and some have Oyster Thursdays. Chicken wings are a big thing here.

Temps were warmer today but it was cloudy most of the day. It certainly did not feel like fall. I've heard that it will be pretty hot next week.

Laurel, sounds like you've been having the same weather we've been having. I am not ready for the cooler temps either but I am looking forward to seeing the leaves turn colors.
Wonderful workouts!

Every day is a different experience with my body. It really is frustrating. I am looking forward to getting another massage. Next time I'll have her apply less pressure though. I would've never gotten a massage if it hadn't been for the yoga challenge! So far I'm doing great with the workouts but in the afternoon I'm completely exhausted!

Tami, so happy your boss recognized you did an awesome job!
Glad you had a good weekend. Definitely, request the pawdicurist with the magic touch for Bernie!

Great workouts!

The flare-ups are really depressing but I think I'm starting to accept them as a way of life. The massage was really great. I'll try to get one at least once a month. DH and I are going to a Restorative Thai Bodywork class on Friday. So I'm looking forward to that.
You really are the MVP Employee at your job! I know how you feel about wishing you could've done more for your mother. You have to find comfort in her words about her feeling so blessed to have you and your sister as her daughters. Don't forget those beautiful words!

Goodnight ladies!

Thelma

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

Sorry I wasn't on line for the last two days, we had a shutdown at work, and just got out electric back up and running. My workouts have been Kelly's LIFT Olympic Lifting, the new Strong & Lean Kickboxing Workout and Body Training Workout 1. Her new kickboxing workout is awesome, and I will be doing that one a lot. After this week we will be heading into the countdown for England.

Laurel, Yes I do believe that we are all heading into Autumn, since we had some lovely temps in the 50's this morning. I do enjoy being outside when it is cooler. All of your workouts sound great, your are really doing some interesting combinations. You know you are working hard when you make the faces while lifting. Glad to hear that you where able to get out in the cool weather to enjoy some golf also.

Erika, You are ending your summer on a really great note, and I hope that your ds passes his test. Enjoy the weekend also, it is always the last hurrah before school starts up. I am enjoying the cooler temps for working outside, but on Sunday I got a bite from some insect and boy did it hurt. I think it was a wasp, but didn't see anything. Glad to hear that the bathroom is all done.

Thelma, Glad to hear that your challenge is over, and that you survived. I'm sure that it has been a challenge to make sure that you tick everything off that need to be done. Your massage sounds really intense, but sounds like it really helped you a lot. Awesome job on all the classes that you are getting in.

Tami, I feel for Bernie, it is really hard to see them like that. We used to give Cami some meds when we went on long car rides because of her anxiety, but as she got older the meds really effected her in a bad way. Great job on all your workouts and your Peloton. Did you purchase Kelly's new workouts? So far I have only done the one, and I really really do love it. She said that in September she is starting up her new app, and it will have all of her DVD workouts on it. I think that it will also take the place of the workouts that she had on Vimeo. It would be really nice to have them all in one place.

Have a great day!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! Today’s workout was LITE Pyramid Pump Upper Body and Six Pack Abs 1, followed by a cardio combo of RWH Low Impact HiiT One and Cathe Live Time to HiiT It Low Impact. I was definitely feeling yesterday’s workouts in my legs doing those cardio workouts. I guess switching things up shocked them a bit!

Tami, I am sorry to hear you are back to the same routine at work. But at least you were able to show them you are capable of more, and it was recognized. So here’s hoping when there is another (hopefully permanent) opportunity, they choose you. Great workouts, as always. Like you, our night time temps now are getting into the low 60s (50s tonight!) so even though the highs are supposed to be near 90, it just doesn’t feel the same. I can’t believe this is the 15th week of our rotation!! Where did it go?? I think the next two weeks I am going to do some heavier lifting and try to come up with a plan for the fall/winter. I want to change things up in my schedule but I am not quite sure how I am going to do that yet. But I am leaning on putting more emphasis on strength and less on cardio, especially higher impact cardio because I am feeling it in my joints more and more. But that’s as far as I have gotten.

Thelma, so happy to hear about a normal day!! I don’t think we will get a very pretty autumn here with colors. I asked our real estate agent about it last year when looking at houses, and she says it does vary every year. But seeing some of the trees changing now and knowing others will be changing in November still (like they were when we got here last year), I am thinking the long, slow changing of colors doesn’t result in the blast of color like in New England. I am fine with that if it means a gradual slide between seasons instead of two weeks of fall and then snow (like in Alaska). I think you will probably have a different experience because of your mountains though.

Laurie, welcome back!! Was that shutdown planned? If not.....yikes! Glad you enjoyed Kelly’s new workout! Always good to find a new, fun kickboxing workout. Like you, we start trip countdown soon. We are supposed to leave on September 13. I say ‘supposed to’ because we have planned and canceled more vacations in the past few years than I care to think about (including this trip to Hawaii which was scheduled for last September), so, as I keep saying to DH, I will believe we are going to Hawaii when I am sitting in the sand with a lei around my neck and a mai tai in my hand. I bet you are getting excited. I will be so anxious to hear how you enjoyed it. I just love England.

Until tomorrow.

Laurel

2BLean

Hi Ladies and Happy Wednesday! Headed home last night and did a quick ICE Low Impact workout followed by a Tabata Ride on the Peloton. She does a Tabata Series every Tuesday which I love so eventhough I can do it at anytime I got it in last night. Always a sweat fest! No workout yet today, hopefully after work. Will do some strength work forsure.

Thelma: What great news to hear you had a “normal” day. Normal is very good considering the summer you have had. So yay!!!! I like that “Pawdicurist”. She is definitely the whisperer in my book. Just a nice calming personality forsure. No more drugs for Bern. How are your sweet kitty's adjusting to their new home now?

Laurie: No worries on missing out the last couple days! Look at how my summer has gone. I am so glad you guys are always here regardless. Cheering me on regardless. OK, so no I haven’t ordered those new KCM workouts yet …. But I am definitely going too. Glad you mentioned it. I went online today at lunch and checked them out. Thank you. I am glad you like them so far. Sounds like you can absolutely relate to what I went through with poor Bernie. Unless you have seen it, you think what’s the big deal, they are just sleepy. NO. It is so much more than that. Poor fella. Great job with the workouts! I bet you are beyond excited for your upcoming trip to England! So fun.

Laurel: Wowsa! What a combo you did today! Way to go. Thank you for the well wishes and support for my work. As I always say I am so thankful to not be where I was before but knowing I can do more and not being given the chance very often can be frustrating. So thank you. I cannot believe where the summer went either. Hopefully we will continue having a beautiful fall like we normally do. I am forever thankful for the lack of smoke compared to the last 4+ summers, so I won’t complain. As you move towards your new “strength” rotation let me know what your thoughts are! I can’t believe it is week 15 either. Granted I missed a few and picked back up, fell behind, etc. but yes …… 15 weeks. That’s a long time. 😊 Where are you guys schedule to go September 13th? Is this the makeup trip to Hawaii?

Have a great evening ladies ~ Tami

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies, I had another normal day today! Yaay! I tried a new (to me) yoga class at the studio today. It is called "All Levels". You can do the practice as easy or advanced as you'd like. The class starts at 8:15 am. That is the earliest class I've taken so I was afraid I was going to be dragging. I was also afraid the instructor was going to kill us because she is a pretty advanced yogi. She wasn't tough at all and I love her instructions. It was up to the student to make the practice easy or advanced.
As part of the challenge, we can get a bonus point if we booked a private class with one of the instructors. I actually booked a class with this amazing instructor for Friday morning.

I've decided to take her weekly class going forward, that's how much I liked her class. I also did the Sculpted-Movement Fusion class.

Temps have started to warm up and we finally had a rain-free day. I read today somewhere that we're 25 days away from the first day of fall! Yikes!

Laurie, welcome back! Great workouts! I am glad you liked the new KCM kickboxing workout! I've been trying to incorporate my Cathe/KCM workouts into my life but when I get home from yoga I'm super tired and I don't want to give that up. I hope with time I will gain my energy back.
How exciting that your England trip is just around the corner! Who is Rocket staying with?

The challenge is practically over. We have 3 more days left. I will have the maximum number of points you can earn, but there are also 2 more ladies with the same score.

Laurel, great combo today!!
I am hoping for a NE like foliage situation here. I have seen people post pictures on FB with foliage colors like the ones NE gets.

Tami, happy Wednesday to you too. I can't believe August is practically over! Fantastic workouts! Great job!
Normal days are really happy days given where I've been.
Our cats really surprised us in how well they've adjusted. The only thing that happened is that Bella is scared of ceiling fans. I turned the one above our bed on once and she was on the bed. She freaked out and ran out. Now she gets scared even when the wind makes the ones outside spin! So we can't use the ceiling fans in this house!
The town has a Facebook group and Fridays are Puppy Friday Picture day. Everyone posts pictures of their dogs. So adorable! Saturdays are Caturday so everyone posts pictures of their kitties. I love this! LOL

Goodnight ladies!
Thelma

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

We are just now getting our system running for cooling, so I hope the facility is functional in a couple of hours. My workout this morning was Kelly's Muscle Definition W1. DH went out a bought me a new DVD player yesterday. I have been telling him about my problem with the old one, and since he works with these players all the time he knows a lot more about them than I do. So much nicer not having pixels and stopping of the DVD while I'm working out.

Laurel, Great job on your workouts! Got to love when a workout combo really makes those forgotten muscles talk, that did happen this morning for me also. That Body Training is lower body without weights, and then this morning she thew in some squats and such. Sure did feel it. Yes this shutdown happens every year, but this year we replaced our 1940's era switch gear. The building that we are in was built during the war, so this switch gear has been functioning since that time. We have had some problems with it in the last few years, so it was a necessary change. I hope that your plans to go to Hawaii don't change. We will be leaving on the 20th!

Tami, Love the workouts! Nice that you can get on the Peloton and do a new workout, that has to be fun. Funny how we love to get those workouts in that make us sweat. I have yet to try Kelly's workout with the weighted vest, but I have done her RAW workouts that are like that one. She is using a 6lb vest in the DVD, but says that you can use an 8lb. I have a 12lb and I'm wondering if that will be to heavy. All I really need to do is start out with it and see how it goes. For sure excited about the trip, and have everything that needs to be prebooked taken care of. One of the nights we want to see something at the theater, that hasn't been nailed down yet.

Thelma, Hurray for feeling normal! Glad that you enjoyed the yoga class and are going to continue with the instructor. This summer has really flown by for sure. DH and I where just talking about how fast August went by on our walk this morning. Of course it was really cold this morning, so that may have been why we discussed it. Take your time about getting back into the Cathe and Kelly workouts, it seems that you are really doing some great workouts for what your body can handle right now. Rocket will be going to Doggy Daycare, they have overnight stays. His visit to daycare will be very expensive, but at least we know he will be taken care of. Of course he will miss us a lot, and will probably be upset when we finally get home and pick him pup.

Have a great day!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! I started today’s workout with XT Cardio Leg Blast and Core 2. It has been at least a couple of years (probably longer) since I have done either of these workouts, and I loved returning to them!! It felt fantastic today. I debated on just leaving it there for my workout, but since my upper body was a bit tight, I opted for a fun, moderate cardio workout to ease those arms which, of course, was kickboxing. I did Cathe Live High Energy Kickboxing (which really isn’t all that high energy) and knew it was the right workout because when she announced the last drill....I was disappointed it was over. Love that!

Tami, more great workouts! I was thinking about you this morning and how you mentioned enjoying your return to ICE when I was doing that XTrain workout. I think I have ignored some of my DVDs since joining Cathe Live. But ever since Cathe mentioned at the Road Trip the fact she thinks people who work out with her DVDs get a better workout than those who do her gym workouts, I have been trying to reach for more DVDs. And I have to admit that I really have missed some of these workouts quite a bit. I will keep you posted on my future workout plans for sure but just an early look.....I am thinking I might do a six month rotation. I think my focus will be hitting every body part with weights twice I week. Like I said, this is very preliminary thinking on my part, but I am toying with three eight week sections that focus on different types of lifting (ala STS, but using a variety of programs). I am not up for another STS rotation yet, and, honestly, even Sagi doesn’t sound appealing right now. So I am looking at all of Cathe’s programs and seeing how I can incorporate them in a very loose Endurance/Muscle Building/Strength type of rotation (again, like STS). With that in mind, I want to add a non-Saturday yoga day, a second spin day, and much shorter cardio sessions.....but haven’t worked out those details yet. Does any of this appeal to you? Let me know!! Yes, we are headed to Hawaii....hopefully. Last year we had planned on Oahu, but this year we are going to Maui. We have never been to Maui and decided we wanted to do something new. From this end of the country, I can’t see too many trips to Hawaii in our future. The only reason we are going this year is our plane tickets last year were with Alaska Airlines and they let us defer them for a year. But because it’s Alaska Airlines, any trip we took from here pretty much had to have us going through Seattle. And while Seattle isn’t really on the way to Hawaii......it is close enough!

Thelma, sounds like an ideal yoga class, to be honest! I love an instructor that encourages doing things at your own level, especially with yoga. I think you are doing great doing ANY workout right now given what you have been through. So I echo Laurie in saying don’t worry about getting back to Cathe or KCM. Do what you enjoy and what feels good on your body!

Laurie, I bet that cooling at work feels good. I am glad it was a planned outage, though. Sounds like another good KCM workout. Yay for the new DVD player! I think I probably would have thrown my DVD player out the window by now if it continually pixelated and stopped my workouts. Patience is not my virtue. Are you thinking of going to the theatre in London? I hope so because it is so fun and some of the theatres are truly beautiful. I am so excited for you!!

See you tomorrow.

Laurel

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

This morning my workout was Kelly's Step Boxing workout. This one went a lot better than the last time I tried it, guess my feet are getting better with step.

Laurel, I can't believe that it has been that long since you tried out that workout, but then again it may be that long for me also. Great job on your workouts! Will be interested in what you are planning on for the next rotation. Right now I'm in the mood for Kelly. I have found that her workouts don't bother my knee as much as other instructors, and I don't know why that is. She does jumping around just like Cathe, but in the morning I don't have any problems with knee pain like I do after a Cathe workout. Oh well, I'm okay with Kelly for now. I actually did stop the DVD and went upstairs to workout. I think that is why DH finally went out a bought my new player, because I had to rearrange the furniture. Yep we are going to be staying in London for a couple of days, and plan on doing a theater and dinner out. Should be fun.

Have a great weekend,
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! Definitely feeling yesterday’s workout today! I had planned a couple of workouts and switched them out at the last minute for some that sounded better mentally. The premise was the same (upper body and step), just slightly different workouts, especially with the step. I wanted less jumping! So I did Cathe Live Upper Body Bootcamp followed by Party Rockin’ Step 1. Felt good.

Laurie, glad you enjoyed that workout more this time. Anymore, step tests me mentally just as much as physically, especially choreography. Sometimes my feet just don’t want to move the right way. And then sometimes my mind just.....wanders off. When those combine is when I am a real mess. Anyhow, glad you found a work around for the DVD player which also encouraged your DH to replace yours. Talk about a win-win. Yay for doing a West End theatre!! I hope you love it. London is such a vibrant city and remarkably easy to get around. Well, at least it was eons ago when we were last there, but I can’t imagine much has changed. And I say it is easy to get around, but that does not include driving. We drove into central London once.......we really learned a lot about the tube and trains after that!

Enjoy the long weekend!

Laurel

2BLean

Have a great weekend ladies! I will check in with you all on Monday.

Tami

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies, I hope you had a great weekend. We had a nice and quiet weekend.
On Friday I did the morning Restorative Yoga class and in the evening DH and I did the Restorative Thai Bodywork class. It was really good and by the end of the class, we felt like wet noodles. There were only 6 people in the class so that the instructor could work on each one of us. We first did restorative stretching, where we held a twist or stretch for a long time. During the second half of the class, the instructor did Thai bodywork on each one of us. She had asked us to write down for her areas where we needed work and what level of pressure we wanted.
On Saturday, we went to the track with our friend to do a 2-mile walk.
Today I did gentle yoga and Barre.

Laurie, glad you guys finally got your facility running. Great job with your workouts. How nice of your DH to get you a new DVD player!
August really flew by! It's always so hard to adjust to the fall temps! I just read that the week of the 16 we will have temps in the low 100's and high 90's!
I hope Rocket will enjoy his stay at the Doggy Daycare. When do you leave for London?

Laurel, great job digging out those older workouts. So glad you enjoyed them! Good job for listening to your body and switching to different workouts!

I am so happy you are finally going to Hawaii! I hope you have a wonderful time!

Hi Tami and Erika!
Have a great week ladies!

Thelma

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

This three day weekend I didn't workout at all. On Saturday we did some more landscaping, and I only have a little more to go. On Sunday I did nothing, but did go shopping with my oldest. Yesterday I was sewing and finishing up a crochet tablecloth. So I got a lot of little projects off my list. This morning I did Kelly's Plateau Buster Harder Mix One Premix.

Laurel, I hope that you had a really nice weekend. Great job on all the workouts, and getting in the step workout too. I have been really thinking about the step, and I think that I will start out with a 4 inch platform, and if it gets to difficult for me, change it to the floor. I tripped a couple of times on the 6 inch. We will not be doing a lot of driving while in England. Our SIL will drive us to the train station in Southampton, and then we will be using the buses, train or tube from that point when we are in London. Now I have to start sorting out what I will be bringing. I don't want to over pack.

Tami, Hope your weekend was a good one too!

Thelma, Your weekend sounds really nice and relaxing. Those are some really high temps. We will be leaving on the 20th, so it will be here before we no it. September is really going to be gone in a flash for me.

Have a great day!
Laurie

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! Hope you enjoyed the weekend. We had a great weekend of sunshine and golf. Managed to golf all three days, including two rounds on Saturday. Definitely feeling that in my hands and forearms right now, but it felt so good to be outside for much of the weekend. Like Thelma mentioned above, we are not done with summer yet. The highs over the next couple of weeks may be as hot as anything we have had this summer. But the good news about that is the humidity has come down quite a bit. I don’t mind a last blast of summer at all right now.

For workouts, I have decided that I am going to use the next two weeks to test out my new rotation format that I described to Tami last week. I am adding more spin and yoga and decreasing some of my non-spin cardio times and such. So Saturday I did Bob Harper’s Yoga for the Warrior. Sunday was Cathe Live Oh My Glutes followed by Cathe Live Hearts on Fire. Yesterday was LIHI Back, Shoulders and Biceps followed by Cathe Live Cardio Core Blast. And today was Pedal Power followed by Jessica Smith Flow Yo from YouTube. So far so good with the format. It was really nice today to know that at the end of my spin workout today, I as going to get some yoga.

Thelma, glad you enjoyed the weekend. Sounds like you got some great workouts in as well. Like you, we are definitely heating up again. But the nights are still cooling down, which makes it very bearable. But we certainly could use some rain.

Laurie, sounds like a wonderful, relaxing weekend. Glad you got a chance to work on some projects and spend some time with your oldest DD. My step height is definitely coming down more consistently. I am still okay on 6” for most things and even 8” for some. But my 10” step days....which I was never really comfortable with....are over (unless it is just for strength moves). And I pull out my 4” step when doing things like Shred Cardio. I would much rather be safe and have a slightly less intense workout than injure myself.....without question. Over packing is really easy for me to do. Especially for long trips to unknown places like where you are going. I seem to think I need a pair of shoes for every possible occasion. Hope you are better at limiting things than me!!

Hi Tami and Erika!!!

See you tomorrow.

Laurel

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies, today's workouts were Barre and a 2-mile walk.

Laurie, we know landscaping qualifies as a workout, so you did workout! Great job with the KCM workout!
Be careful with that step! Go with the 4-inch platform.

DH and I decided that we wanted to have our new friends over for an 'open house' this coming Saturday. I had invitations printed and we are having about 24 people! I've never entertained more than 4 guests at-a-time! The difference here is that we're buying BBQ so we don't have to worry about the cooking. If we had to do the cooking I'd be seriously stressed out. I am going to make some chicken wings because people here love them. We bought beer and wine and people are bringing side dishes, fruit, and some dessert. I love that they are used to doing potlucks so they all offer to bring something. We are in deep cleaning mode, mostly DH really. He is cleaning windows and power washing the house. He washed the window screens and even the screened porch! I have been buying party platters, cups, plates, plastic ware a giant cooler and more. I will clean up inside the house of course.

Laurie, the lady who made the great sangria will be here. I asked her to make it and to give me the recipe. She promised to bring me the recipe!

The weather for next week has changed slightly, and temps will be in the 90's.
9/20 is our wedding anniversary! I hope you have a wonderful time!

Laurel, glad you were able to play golf and enjoy the weather! I hope the weather next week won't be humid. I really can't say that we've had much humidity here at all.
Fantastic workouts! That new rotation sounds awesome!

The nights are also on the cooler side here but warmer this week. We could really use some rain around here. I learned today that BR gets about 55 inches of rain a year! I'm not surprised because when it rains it pours!

Hi Tami and Erika!

Goodnight ladies!
Thelma

StiringWendel

Hi Ladies! Today’s workout was LIHI Chest, Shoulders and Triceps followed by Cathe Live Cardio HiiT Plus Core. Definitely had more energy today than yesterday. I think the spin/yoga combo mid-week may be a keeper!

Thelma, great workouts! Yay on the party!! That is an incredible response from your community. It just make you feel so welcome to know that many people already....and all of them want to spend time with you. Sounds like you have a perfect plan for food. Like you, cooking for that many people would stress me to no end. Sounds like you should have great weather for the weekend as well. Love that you are doing this for your new neighbors!

Had an early hair appointment so now I am off to catch up on my daily chores. See you tomorrow!

Laurel

2BLean

Hi Ladies and Happy September!!! Feels good to start a new month. Weekend was good, I absolutely love having that 3rd day off. Our company that came to stay was there Friday when I got home from work and then left on Sunday around noon or so. It was fun to see them.

Saturday I was able to sneak in a 45 minute Peloton ride while our house guests went shopping before their wedding they were attending. LOL Sunday after a late breakfast I did laundry and clean-up and no workout. So Monday I did an oldie but fun one ….. Supreme 90 Cardio Challenge followed by a HiiT ride on the Peloton. Despite the weather being absolutely beautiful DH had left for his Fall fishing {yes, already that time and yes it is even earlier than before} but I was in the mood to go through my closet and sweaters, etc. Even re-organized a makeup drawer in the bathroom ! I got rid of a lot of stuff, feels great. Yesterday was a Tabata Ride after work and tonight will be weights when I get home.

Work is still back to the daily daily routine, I'm glad it is a short week. I try to focus on how grateful I am to be in a much better environment and just be patient with being able to take on more.

Thelma: Sounds like a wonderful weekend for you and DH. That is so great he is doing the Yoga class with you. How fun. Great that you are continuing to love the Yoga and Barre so much. What an awesome idea and how wonderful you have 24 people to invite to your BBQ. After living in our neighborhood for 23 years I wouldn’t have that many people ever. LOL How fun that will be and what a great way to get to know all your neighbors too.

Laurie: Your weekend sounds absolutely perfect! Sometimes anything but a workout is what your mind and body needs ….. so good on you. Although yardwork is hard work! Is the KCM Plateau Buster workout from before? Or is that on one of her new ones? I do have Plateau Buster and love it….. OH, and I did order my DVD’S. Still waiting for them. {patiently) LOL We are having some fabulous weather days continue, this Friday we are supposed to get rain and then be nice again. So Fall is coming but I will take any nice days right now before it is dark at 5 pm.

Laurel: Your weekend sounds fabulous as well!! YAY on all of the golf. I bet it did feel good to be outside ….. kind of like what I told Laurie, the dark at 5 and colder days will be happening before we know it. I can’t believe it’s September for goodness sake! LOL Blasts of goodness are always welcome right now. I had meant to answer you on the new plan for workouts and then I wasn’t on here (obviously) so responding now. I love the idea of emphasis on strength/yoga/spin. Sounds perfect. Now if I can get myself to do yoga … that is the question. LOL In my mind and my pre-plan for the week I always intend to and then feel like I need to do some sort of “make up” workout from something I may have missed during the week. So heres hoping I will try. Even if a short one. Do you have workouts kind of mapped out or what sounds good for strength, etc. ??? Thank you in advance for sharing. Your lineup sounds great that you have done so far this week. WOWSA. So fun that you are going to Maui. IF and that is a big IF I ever talk DH into going back to Hawaii after our rain fest I would love to go to Maui someday. I told my sister it will probably be a trip I have to take with her. As of now, it would take a lot of convincing to go back to Hawaii for him.

Hi Erika

Talk to you ladies tomorrow ~ Tami

ThelmaSW

Hi Ladies, we had a beautiful day here today. My workouts were a private yoga session with an amazing instructor at the yoga studio and a sculpting fusion class. This yoga instructor is the one who makes sure you only do only what your body can handle. We worked on form, and she was excellent.

Laurel, wonderful workouts! I love that you've discovered your body needs an easier workout mid-week!

The people we invited are the friends we've met through someone I met back in April when I participated in the Parade of Homes event. This friend is awesome. We love him, and it's obvious he loves us too. This group of friends gets together every Friday at a bar or a restaurant for a couple of hours. They have welcomed us with open arms.
We lived in our MA neighborhood for about 12 years and we hardly knew our next-door neighbor! In a matter of a couple of months, we have all these friends here in BR. I also have my pals from the yoga studio too!
There's no way I would ever think of cooking for so many people. The good thing is that they seem to be used potluck meals when they get together. Next time I'll have people bring a dish to share.
So far the weather looks perfect for Saturday.

Hi Tami! Happy September to you too! 3 day weekends are the best!
Glad you had a good time with your guests.

Great workouts! I don't think I'd ever heard of that Supreme 90 Cardio Challenge workout before!
I can't believe your DH started his fishing season already! Good for you for going through your closet and getting rid of things.
I feel like I have to donate most of my dressy/work clothes. The dress code here is very casual. Early on a lady told me that all I'd needed here were jeans and t-shirts. I think she was right.
I sometimes wear dresses when we meet with our friends on Fridays, but feel strange because I am the only one wearing a dress!

At least I know that when I'm ready to donate my clothes they will go to people in need.

You are doing the right thing by focusing on being grateful to have a good work environment. Be patient, and you will get a better job in due time.

I was really happy DH went to the restorative yoga class with me. There is one this month too but he wasn't thrilled about going. He said he knows I liked it, and that he would go for me. I let it go this time because the class is on our anniversary. Next time there is a workshop I'll make him go with me. LOL

Our friends live in neighboring towns. We really only have one neighbor at the entrance of our road which only has 3 houses. The third house is a vacation rental property. Our only neighbor is not very sociable but we've made it a point to talk to him whenever we see him. He is better with us now. You and your DH should think about retiring here! There is plenty of fishing here. BR is the trout capital of Atlanta if not the country.

A friend told us today to prepare ourselves for the day to get dark at 6 PM. Of course, we're used to the day getting dark at around 4 PM! We'll take a day getting dark at 6 pm any day! LOL

Goodnight ladies!
Thelma

lvnascar

Morning Ladies,

Sorry I wasn't on yesterday, but I was getting error messages during my posting time slot that I give myself. Once I get busy at work I get pretty focused. So yesterday I did 30MTF Total Body Kickbox Interval Challenge Premix and this morning was Lean Body Circuits W1. Temp this morning was low 50's.

Laurel, Awesome job with all the workouts, and I love your inserting the yoga midweek. Really really do want to do more yoga, so I may be incorporating your thought process in the future. Got to love that Bob Harper yoga workout, that is one of the best. Glad to hear that I'm not the only one that is taking the step down, just don't really have the desire to trip and hurt myself. Of course I don't do a lot of step anymore, so that is a factor in my clumsiness also. The shoe situation will be a tough one, because I know that we will probably deal with rain, so that means that my feet will be wet at some point. Guess I could invest in some English shoes if I need to. I know that we are going to go shopping at Harrods. DH says that he "needs" a tie from there.

Thelma, Love the sound of your party, and can't wait to get that Sangria recipe. Parties are a lot of work, so taking the stress out by ordering in BBQ is a great idea. Everyone usually is agreeable to that. It sounds like you both have gathered some great friends around you. Love your yoga sessions, it really does make me want to get out my yoga workouts. I remember when I was doing them all the time during my knee issues. My arms really got more defined. We had to put Rockets reflective vest on this morning, because it is starting to get dark when we walk. The sun is just coming up in the mornings, and it really is pretty. We will be dealing with walking in the moonlight soon enough I guess.

Tami, Great job on all your workouts! What a blast from the past with the S90 workouts. They are good ones, and I always loved that they started out with the ab work. You and I are on the same wave length with doing some de-cluttering. I went to the dollar store and used some of their things to organize my drawers in the bathroom. They have an office organizer that works really well for my make-up drawer. I was actually looking for something to put the feet for my sewing machine into. I found that and more. Love that store for all the basket/bins that they have. I have to go back, because when I was walking out the door I saw a scarf that had really cut jack-o-lanterns on them. The Plateau Buster is the one that you have. She has two premixes that she terms harder mix. I found them harder than the workouts themselves with the additions that she inserted. Hope that you are able to get those new DVD's soon.

Have a great day!
Laurie