Cathe Fans Part 5

Hi Ladies! I hope you all enjoyed the weekend. We had a cold weekend here which meant Saturday was spent doing more baking. I told my husband that if I ever open a bakery, it will be the best weight-loss plan ever for me because, right now, after all this baking, I can't even think about eating anything sweet. So no temptation here!! :drinker: I took Saturday off from workouts as I usually do. Yesterday was on to Week 4 of STS Meso 2, which started with a chest, shoulder and tricep workout. It felt really good! I followed it with Cathe's Circuit and Intervals premix from her Greatest Hits workout. Today was STS legs, which felt surprisingly easy. So I followed it with a workout I do maybe once a year--Cathe's Bootcamp. It hit those legs a little more, which felt fantastic. I really enjoyed it today!!

Michelle, like Tami, I think a scarf is a great gift idea. Everybody loves a nice scarf with a fun pattern! I hope your temps cool off soon. We were talking to our friends in the Ft. Walton Beach, FL area last week, and they were talking about how unusually hot and humid it has been. My DH headed out to DC this morning (where it is cold) and then is headed to Alabama from there on Wednesday. He had no clue how to pack for the weather! :laugh: Hope you enjoyed a quiet weekend with your family.

Tami, we were on the same workout page again last week, weren't we? How funny is that. I hope you enjoyed your holiday parties. Our brunch on Friday was actually very nice....calm and pleasant with good food and conversation. I like that. You are like me with the hair--I only ever do color and a light trim. I, too, am trying to wear my hair a bit longer, and I like that. I do worry about aging myself unnecessarily with my [lack of] hairstyle, but, at the end of the day, it is easy for me so I stick with it. :ohwell: We are still cold today (11 degrees right now), but are supposed to be in the 40s tomorrow. I am going to miss the snow when it is all gone in a few days. It has made everything look so pretty this past week!

Erika, SO good to see you!! I am sorry to hear your job is causing so much stress. I really hope you can find something you enjoy doing, allows you to spend more time with your family and on yourself, and helps pay the bills. Life is too short to be spending so much time doing something you don't enjoy.

See you tomorrow,
Laurel

Hi Ladies ~ Weekend was pretty good! Saturday was not quite what I had planned, but that ok I did get a few gifts purchased that I was feeling a little “anx” over what to get the person, one being a co-worker that has everything. At any rate, spent Sat a.m. with my girlfriend who is pregnant and due in one week! Very exciting. We went to coffee, Costco and one other stop. She is in “nesting overload” right now. She is stocking her house to the point of if she doesn’t have to leave for a month! Hilarious :laugh: Everyone keeps telling her she will leave the home with the new baby and/or have friends to bring things to her. After she dropped me off I did a bunch of housework while DH was out running some errands! Seems like I get it done faster that way. :laugh: Yesterday was STS Chest/Shoul/Tri’s followed by Tabatacise + Abwork. Felt great!! This a.m. however, I hit the snooze :yawn: so “STS Legs” will be tomorrow a.m. and BootCamp tonight after work.

Erika: Very good to hear from you and I’m SO sorry things have not improved on the work front. Sad that the job you loved so much has become the last place you want to be right now. Again, I’m sorry. If you can swing it and go to the PT job, that would be wonderful. I’m sure you would feel so much better & have extra time for all the boys activities … maybe even be able to get in a workout again! What a plus that would be I’m sure. :flowerforyou:

Laurel: Awesome job on the workouts! :drinker: I can’t even believe we are rounding out the end of Meso #2 already as I put in that workout yesterday. Very fun that you did more holiday baking and glad you aren’t tempted. I understand what you mean on after all that baking, smelling, etc. you sometimes just don’t want ANY of it. You’ve inspired me to make some cookies so I did get the dough made, now it’s in the freezer. :blushing: We’ll see how far the project goes but I would like to give some as gifts to our neighbors. Glad you enjoyed your brunch the other day, it sounds like it was very nice. Our temps have reached a high of 20 today, which feels so much warmer than the weekend. We were in single digits and zero or below during the night!!! Needless to say I was happy to get home from our parties Friday evening and let the kids in. I felt so bad they were out in it. Eventhough they have plenty of cover and heated beds, etc. I just worry about them.

Michelle: Nice that you found a good gift! :bigsmile: plus scored a scarf for yourself in the process I have the same kind of gift exchange next Monday with our staff party. I went with a silver/white fuzzy fleece throw. It was at Costco and very nice. My girlfriend bought one too for her party. Nice job with the run yesterday and hopefully your legs aren’t hurting too much tomorrow from the Pilates. We were into some crazy cold temps as I mentioned to Laurel. :huh: Yikes! We have just a skiff of snow staying right now and supposed to get some more later in the week. We’ll see, seems too cold to snow. The air is very dry too.

Talk to you ladies tomorrow ~ Tami

Hi Ladies ~ BootCamp was pretty good last night. She did her old format of just stations. We didn’t do any HiiT training in between but instead did the stations 3 times through non-stop. Which included some Spiderman push-ups, burpees, side planks, core work and bear crawls across the room and back. Today was STS Legs which felt good & cardio tonight will be Insane-X!

Laurel: YOWSA on the cardio today! :noway: :drinker: Fabulous job (as usual) I know what you mean on already thinking of “what next” I think there are so many awesome 30-day rotations, that is a perfect and fun way to go. I often copy & paste rotations and save them in a folder for later that I think look good just for moments like that when I don’t know what kind of a rotation I am going to do next. What do you mean - “Lives are about to become very uncertain”? :huh: Are you guys moving again soon?

Talk to you tomorrow ~ Tami

Hi! Last night class as Pure Cardio format for our Insane X class. Then she added on a few extra’s at the end. The BootCamp instructor was in the class for the very first time EVER! I was in the front so I couldn’t see her with my back to her but at the end she was dripping sweat. I think Ive mentioned she doesn’t participate with us in the class, so it was good to see her “feel the pain” a bit. :laugh: :blushing: Mostly I mention that from our running camp all summer as she yelled from down the street what to do. We’ll see if she makes it a weekly event. Today was STS Back/Bi’s and tonight will be Spinning. Which will feel great since I missed both classes last week. I also signed up for the annual Spinning for Tots like I did last year. You bring a toy to the early a.m. spin class on Saturday per hour you are spinning; I signed up for 2 hours. :bigsmile: Should be fun. My same friend from work is doing it with me again and her husband. They rotate instructors ever half hour so you get something “new” thrown in there.

Laurel: Another fabulous day in the workout room for you!! :drinker: Nice going. Absolutely love Cross Fire Xtreme. I don’t know that I will ever say that pre-mix feels easy though :huh: …. Awesome work! Yes, I was missing the HiiT additions she has been doing in the BC class. I don’t think she was really prepared so just having us do stations was easier.
I wondered if that’s what you meant about your lives being thrown into turmoil. I knew he is retiring soon. It just seems like that has come right up …. Wow, only 6 months:noway: I’m glad to hear you don’t feel too bothered by it all and have definitely learned to roll with whatever happens …. Plus you must be a professional mover by now! In the time I’ve known you here on MFP I think you’ve moved 4 times or so. I was laughing at the very last sentence …. “It only bothers me when I am trying to plan a long workout rotation” :laugh: :laugh: LOVE it! I saw an e-mail today from Beachbody. P90X3 is out now. Is this something you will be looking into? I didn’t read much about it other than the main page and it looked like the workouts are only 30 min long.

I’ll check in with you ladies tomorrow ~ Tami

Hi Ladies ~ Today’s workout was Great Glutes. Felt pretty easy …. Both her “new” leg workouts to me seem to feel easy. The time frame I had, it worked into perfectly though. Nothing planned for this evening for workouts.

Laurel: Your workout today does sound absolutely perfect! I wish I had more time in the early a.m. workouts do add-on. That’s awesome. I know, I love it that she was there and hopefully she will pick up some ideas/thoughts/creative pieces to add. I agree, just because she is a “trainer” doesn’t mean she doesn’t go through stages. I think she has a lot of things on her plate and works full time (actually at the Title Co. my husband works at … small town, I know) and so she is busy and sometimes just not into it. T25 is still one that intrigues me as well. Your hubby has that one right? That is a pretty funny thing to know you have lived on one place for a long enough time that you now need a deep cleaning & the oven cleaned too! I’m sure living in one spot and settling down in that space will be hard to get used to but a great feeling once you guys are there. :bigsmile: Any special plans for the weekend? Do you have all your cookies baked? I did get some dough made up last weekend and will bake some cookies this weekend, plus we are giving our managers gift baskets with homemade goodies like we did last year. I may do some homemade granola or maybe cookies

Talk to you tomorrow ~ Tami

Good Morning Ladies,


Sorry about the long MIA! Last week I finished my contract but then jumped into a family readiness training program for grieving families. On Friday it was my DD fundraiser at CHILL yogurt, then Saturday morning her swim-a-thon was cancelled but the youngest had a 2 hour Brownie meeting. On Sunday it was Christmas Caroling with Girl Scouts at the Nursing home and then working on a project with the eldest.:yawn: On top of that my fractured root canal has grown a huge abcess on the gum so I'm not a happy camper with this swollen mouth. I have been working out mainly Running and Barre/Pilates routines and after yesterday's sample of Rockin Models after my run, my glutes are talking to me. It seems using a stick instead of a Bar or stable structure in that segment really forces you recruit some additional fibers as we performed the routine on our toes.:ohwell: I found a cool new running App for my phone and my armband arrived so I will probably hit the treadmill later this evening and follow that with Windsor Pilates.


Tami- Cool about the instructor coming to class and your Spin for Tot sounds killer.:bigsmile: I should check the gym on the base to see if they will host a Zumbathon also, although we wrapped and passed out gifts to families last week as Santa's Helpers, that will be a fun way to accumulate some gifts for the kids.:bigsmile:


Laurel- Wow 6 months until retirement, how exciting and scary at the same time.:laugh: Some AF friends of ours from Texas who returned from Italy this year and retired was commenting on FB that he attended his first Xmas party as a civilian and it was different.:bigsmile: I laughed because I can imagine my husband feeling the same way but hopefully your husband will find a good job to transition to in a VA friendly state. USAA recently sent their list of the best places for retiress, three cities in Texas were listed, VA, OK, & two cities in Florida.



Off to get a move on it as I have nothing for today and I cleaned the house yesterday, so today I will wrap some gifts for the Christmas tree.:bigsmile:


Michelle

Hi Ladies ~ Sorry I missed you on Friday! :ohwell: Our company party was nice that evening and we stayed for the perfect amount of time. Home early and watched a movie Since I was getting up early it was perfect. Weekend was good. Sat a.m. was the Spinning For Tots and I did the 2 hours as planned. It was a lot of fun and kept the pace going by having a new instructor every half hour. That way it was new music styles too. I think next year I will stay for the whole 3 hours!! After a nice shower & food I headed out for a little Christmas shopping. Yikes! Busy, busy out there. Yesterday was STS Chest/Shoulders/Tri’s which felt good at the time, with all the things I felt like I needed to do yesterday plus meeting my friend for lunch I decided my usual add-on cardio was not going to work. I should have started earlier in the a.m. I did wake up this a.m. with a very sore chest muscle on one side. I am not sure that this is even in the muscle. :huh: It has happened a couple times before; different times, one being when I played my first set of volleyball games. That was my shoulder; It hurts all the way through to my shoulder blade and feels like something’s preventing me from breathing deep. WHAT in the world? I took three Ibuprofen this a.m. and it feels WAY better now but if I breathe in deep, I can feel it? :grumble: Needless to say, picking up weights would not have been in the cards this a.m. Tonight is our staff “white elephant” gift exchange and potluck. {I made a Quinoa Tomato, Chickpeas & Avacado Salad with a lemon, cumin & spinach dressing! Right up my alley! It’s a new recipe} So needless to say, no workouts today ….. hoping to hit it tomorrow and be good to go! Last time this happened it was better the next day and then a couple more days, no pain or “pinch”

Laurel: Great job with the workouts ~ as always! :bigsmile: :drinker: I’m definitely feeling like a slacker after reading your line up.:ohwell: That is awesome you got in BC & KB workout along with KickMax today! Yowsa!! Energy galore. :bigsmile: Very nice. I agree about her new workouts being great “add-ons” but not for a regular Leg day unless of course you are looking to go lighter. So I did end up making some sugar cookies that I stuck in the freezer for neighbors and friends. Then for our manager gift baskets I went with a really easy goodie. Graham crackers covered in a "toffee" like filling and chocoloate with candy canes sprinkled on top. Very easy (20 min tops) and I think they will like them. The idea of the cookies sounded good at the time, that’s a LOT of work! Good on ya for doing that year after year in the amount you do as well. I don’t feel very Christmas like at our house :frown: Since I will be gone, DH decided he won’t put up a tree for us because he will probably go over to his parents and friends. Therefore, we don’t even have decorations up. It’s kind of a sad scene at our house.
I did decide for next week when I am in California I would bring my jump rope and resistance band along with Travel Fit and then do some full body type drills outside as well. Put little circuits together.

Michelle: Congrats on finishing up your contract! :drinker: Great job keeping up with the workouts despite your busy schedule and aching tooth! OUCH. When will you see the dentist again? I really enjoyed the Spinning for Tots again this year. Such a great cause and everyone is getting in a workout yet it’s very casual atmosphere. They did play some Christmas songs too. A Zumbathon would be fantastic and I’m sure your participation would be amazing! Think of all those toys. People could either bring a toy per hour or donate cash is how they work this one. Which armband did you get?

I’ll talk to you ladies tomorrow ~ hopefully reporting in that my “pain in the chest” is gone and I got my workout in

Tami

Hello! I’m happy to report that my salad was a HUGE hit last night! :bigsmile: Normally the majority of the staff thinks I eat “strange” things and at the same time appreciate that I am healthy but I figured there were only a couple who would try it. Everyone tried a little and loved it. Always feels good to make something and get good reviews! Also, my shoulder blade/chest pain is better today. Still a bit of a pinch at times. Example, just when I think it’s better I bend down to put on my socks this a.m. and it was a huge pinch and spasm feeling, then went away. Makes me know it is just a muscle situation and annoying but for it to be a lot better today I am super glad. Currently just feels like I need to have those muscles between my shoulder blades pushed on. :laugh: This a.m. I did STS Legs and tonight will go to Insane-X. I think she mentioned last week it is going to be more of a leg night ….. so it should be ok. I'm sure we will have some burpees or push-ups in there somewhere though.

Laurel: Fabulous job on the workout today despite not feeling like it! :drinker: That would b a tough one for me to pull out of the stack if I didn’t feel like working out, good on ya!! That was very nice of you to say “yes” to the Christmas project. I’m sure they figured you would say yes. Hopefully its one of those things that you will be glad you did it once it’s over. I would be absolutely not be liking my kitchen about now if I was you. YOWSA on the cookie baking :noway: That’s so great. Nice job getting something sketched out for next week. I am the same way and then not even being home to have access to “misc” style workouts even. Thanks for posting the “change” I was writing down January’s calendar the other night and penciled in Squat Rack legs/Other as well. This sounds perfect and compliments my p.m. workouts nicely!

Talk to you tomorrow ~ Tami

Hi Ladies ~ Well I made it through Insanity last night and it was a tough one so I must be cured! It was a few sets of lines to start :huh: jump rope in every round and yes as I suspected, a lot of burpees. This a.m. was STS Back/Bi’s which I could still feel some tender moments but not like Monday a.m. so each day is better (obviously). Tonight I am headed to Spinning after work.

Michelle: Sounds like you are having a busy week! :noway: Great job as always getting in your workout! :drinker: How did you like that workout? Thanks for the well wishes. I think it is better. It is just such a strange feeling and to have it pinch when I breathe in deep or sneeze is odd, but since it is improving each day I am happy. Surviving Insanity last night I think I am going to be just fine :laugh: Glad your tooth infection is doing better. Where are you guys going for your holiday vacation next week?

Hi Laurel ~ Hope your event went well today! :flowerforyou:

Until tomorrow ~

Tami

Hello ~ Today’s workout was Insane Abs at lunch It was a really great class and I was so glad I made it there today. I was able to wish Katy (the instructor) a Merry Christmas and she gave me a big hug thanking me for working so hard in her classes. She printed off some of her class workouts to do while I’m in L.A. I was telling her my plan and she thought it was perfect …. Very sweet of her to pass those on to me So backing up to early this a.m. – I missed my a.m. workout due to my alarm being tweaked slightly … :grumble: not sure what happened but at any rate I didn’t get up. Maybe I turned it off or nudged the time in the wrong direction?!?! I’m thinking tomorrow I will get in a full body/circuit of some sort and then on Saturday a.m. do Tri-Sets Upper & Lower! Sunday will have to be something good too ---- “Last Chance Workout” before my trip on Monday.

Laurel: So great to hear you had a great time yesterday! :bigsmile: What a fabulous thing to do for them and I’m sure they enjoy every little bite when they receive them. Awesome job with the workouts! :drinker: I bet your legs were feeling it after that workout today. I know when I have done any workout and follow it up with AfterBurn I feel it. Good stuff there! Yes, I’m glad to be feeling better too. Monday was not a good feeling at all :frown: and now today I feel 100% again! :drinker: Yahoo. I leave for California on Monday a.m. DH is going to take me to the airport bright & early. It is a weird thing to be away from each other at Christmas time forsure. He did mention having some friends over that afternoon for a little pre-Christmas card party and lunch/dinner for them. Mostly business friends it sounds like. I am anxious to get into the sunshine and as always my mom & sister I have such a great time with.

I will check in tomorrow and be checking in while I’m gone to see if you ladies are here & wish you a Merry Christmas as well.

Until tomorrow ~ Tami