So This Happened in September...

So yeah...right after my September 12th post, a bike ride fall I'd had on September 10th started creeping up on me, leading to a doctors visit and two emergency room visits.



Woo.



So no exercise until November 2nd. 



I think my riding season is over too.




Despite my pain and bedridden state for 11 days, my main concern since the beginning of August has been The Fynn.



We found a lump above his left elbow a week before his scheduled annual checkup.

Poor Lumpy

The vet was able to take a sample right then and there, and it was deemed to be cancerous.  But if he was to get one type of Cancer, this is the type of cancer that's the best.



These lumps are removable, and due to its location and size, hadn't yet imploded and entered the bloodstream or any other parts of his body.



All I heard was, "Blah blah blah Cancer, blah blah, surgery" inbetween my tears.



Husband nicknamed him, "Cancer Dog," whereas I move lovingly called him "Lumpy"



Fynn is not the best dog, his vet is a Super Hero each time he visits - yay for anti social, anxiety ridden, ADD weirdo rescue dog.  If he likes you, he loves you.  If you're afraid of him, he doesn't like you.  If you're a stranger, he doesn't like you.



Those who are deemed worthy of his love see a totally different side of The Fynn vs those who haven't gotten the chance to know him.  He can be scary with his scary bark and jumping.



As our private trainer said - he's going to be the best dog he can be, and will never be perfect.



We love him dearly, and he really does try.  Every year he gets more and more snuggly and cuddly and just needs reassurance and love.  He's lucky we're stubborn, and that I'm aware of our surroundings and his limitations.  We have an understanding and bond.



I'll never give up on The Fynn, and help him to ensure he is set up to succeed, not to fail.



So...that being said - him needing to go to the clinic more than once a year was stressful in itself.



Cancer is a scary word. Especially in such a small being.  And looking at the associated costs sucks too.  He just turned 6, so he's only halfway through life and full of enthusiasm and determination.

So he had surgery a few weeks ago.  They removed the entire tumour, and hopefully all of the surrounding cells.



There is a chance that it could grow again if the cells weren't all removed.  Hopefully Dr. L proves his super powers with Fynn once again and we don't see that tumour again.

Home from Surgery - he couldn't lift his head up

Sad puppy

He kept taking his wrap off

His healing hasn't been the quickest due to the area.  I've used gauze, wraps, and kept his muzzle on until he figured out how to lick through the muzzle through the bandage.  We were lucky enough to be able to borrow a Cone of Shame, which is awesome and working.

Silence of the Lambs muzzle - it works!

It's funny watching him try to walk through doors and into walls...he's just darling.

Shame Shame Shame

So as we recovered together the last few weeks (it WAS kind of nice to be able to just lay drugged up with him while being catered to by Husband....I didn't really have any worries or cares once I got the proper medication...), I was glad to be able to ensure Fynn felt loved and taken care of.

Healing together

I love The Fynn.

It's Been Forever!

So...we kind of got off the biking bandwagon after the accident.



BUT 3 weeks after The Accident, I did start my daily workouts again.



I wasn't able to find Cize when I finished Insanity Max 30, however, I did have the 21 Day Fix Extreme, so gave it a go.



As it was only 21 days, I decided not to note every single workout - it kind of takes away from it all.

Autumn Calabrese kind of annoyed me at first, but she grew on me eventually.  She sounds like she's from Minnesota with a Canadian Accent.



And she's a tough cookie.  She brought back the weights, and maintained the squats, lunges, and goddam tricep dips.

I didn't realize how much I missed the weights (Shaun T doesn't generally use weights - only in the Gamma Round of T25).



I didn't do the diet part, as I'm not that hard core.  I'm okay with a long term maintenance plan vs a short term plan.  That's just me though - some people just do the diet part.  I don't need more tupperware, and we generally watch what we eat, with some cheating (wings and beer anyone??).



I didn't really like the app, as the days I didn't workout (there was a wedding in the middle, so I had to remember which day I was on, as the app just assumed you didn't skip a day):

The bridal party

I think my arm looks dented - you can kind of see it in the top left - yeah!

And someone actually commented on how muscular my back looks - sweet!  All my hard work the last 10 months is finally paying off.  Being not-20-years-old, it's a lot more difficult to get rid of those unsightly bulges and bumps.  Husband still says I'm hot no matter what, but it also matters what I think.



I want all the muscles!



And working out also gives me more energy, makes me happy, and fills in that time I used to spend bird toy making for Crystal's Bird Toys.



CBT feels like a lifetime ago since I closed down the store.



Anyhow, back to Apps - I like Apps for my workouts, so I can check it off there.  I'm horrible with paper. Even if it's posted on my fridge.



Like now.



I tried Cize for 2 days, and just missed the weights, squats, and lunges - it's mainly cardio and co-ordination, and a whack load of fun....but I need more than that to meet my targets and not get bored.  Doing the same workout every day for a week is one way for me to just stop doing it.  It's boring and repetitive.



So, I found a schedule that incorporates the 21 Day Fix Extreme WITH Cize.  It's perfect!  3 days of weights, lunges, and squats, 1 Yoga day, and 3 Cize Days a week.



I think I might do this with Body Beast (a program I haven't attempted as I don't want stupid huge muscles, and NEED my cardio to get best results) - a bit of T25 or P90X3 and Body Beast together?


 Yes please!



Cize is basically 30-40 minutes learning a 45 second dance.  My favourite move so far is the row-boat move - it took me about 4 days of Cize to figure it out, but now it's fun.  Again, I trip over my own feet and am not that co-ordinated, so this is a great challenge for me to attempt and succeed at.

I start the new dance (week 3) today, so I'm stalling for time.  New moves in Cize scare me a bit.


 This is good - to challenge yourself to do things you ordinarily wouldn't do.




I also only had one pair of workout shorts that wicked sweat away - my other two were old pant cut offs, and not working for me at all.  I'm a fitness clothing snob. I admit it.  I like my Lululemon. It does exactly what I want, and I shop in the We Made To Much section, so the pricing is actually much better that normal priced fitness clothing, at a quality I have become accustomed to.



So I saw some shorts on sale that might work better than the last pair I got (I need to shrink a tad bit more for those ones to fit - fitness goals!).



They are Amazeballs!

A workout is not complete without a Ridgeback aka Lumpy Fynn

The only problem with shopping in the discount section...you have to wait. And wait. And wait if you want a not-size 2 or 4.  I'm an 8 in tops (which are getting flowy) and 10 in bottoms right now - the 8s don't like my hips, which seem to be holding on for dear life.



A bit of a long winded analysis of the last few months, but I'm still journeying along :)



There are no excuses acceptable (beyond having no limbs) to not putting yourself, your mental & physical health, and overall well being - first.  Do it for your family and do it for yourself.



Keep fit, smile, and remember - if you have 30 minutes a day to watch tv, you have 30 minutes a day to workout in your living room.

The Accident - Bye Bye Useful Pick Up Truck!

So, on June 13th, we were on our way home from MEC (aka Westboro) with some new biking gear. We were JUST going to pop into the house to change my shirt as Husband slobbered ice cream over it - The Merry Dairy ice cream to be exact - so we could satisfy our desire for a nice steak dinner.

See - ice cream on my face that drooled onto my shirt right before the accident

Yeah - that didn't quite pan out the way we anticipated.  Two rights and a left away from our house, we were stopped at a red light.  Light turned Green and there were 3 or 4 cars ahead of us, thus, Husband's foot was still on the brake.  I looked at the rearview mirror, and saw this big pick up truck coming towards us, and thought nothing of it.

2 seconds later, all I heard was a crash, and I started screaming for some unknown reason for 1-2 minutes.  Husband was scared, as he had no idea why I was screaming or if I was hurt.

The pick up truck, on a nice sunny day, with no sun in his direction, somehow missed the brake lights on our BRIGHT RED pickup truck, and hit us (0KMH) going about 50-60KMH.

The result? Husband was really confused and sore, my right leg was bruised and swollen, the back of my head hurt like a &#$*%, and I had no idea what had just happened.

I was mixing up my words WAY more than normal, and delayed in my responses to people asking me questions.

I couldn't remember which was my Left or Right (even doing the old make-my-fingers-into-an-L-to-figure-out-which-is-left childhood trick).

An Ambulance arrived quite quickly, as did the hot police officer.  I remember that.

I was the only one injured enough for the ambulance to take in.  They asked me questions, did some tests, and told me I had to go to the hospital.  As we were so close to home, and Husband would have to pay for parking anyhow, I declined, as Ambulances charge $45 for a ride these days, and I could walk (painfully) - I wanted to avoid my leg from stiffening up.

They need Uber ambulances I think.

I signed my Waiver, and saw the aftermath.

Rear windows smashed out

Rear bumper. Poor bumper.

The car in front of us saw the driver not stopping, and had enough time to pull up, thus they only had a minor scratch on their Audi.  They stood with us, and were quite irked at the Truck driver.  None of us really talked to him.  I never did find out if he was looking down, texting, or just zoned out at the time of the accident.  The Audi couple suspect he was texting, as he was looking down as he approached us. Only the police and insurance know (and the guy) for sure.

We gave our statements (well, Husband more than me, as he was driving and coherent), and Husband and I walked away.  The truck was undriveable.

Little did we know at the time, the whole front end was shot (we were able to change gears without the clutch - not good in a Standard vehicle), it was buckled at the front, passenger side was buckled out all the way (like at a 45 degree angle in the middle), the truck bed pushed into the back of where we were sitting (hence smashed glass, and injuries)....and the repair shop stopped counting repairs without even taking into consideration the internal damages.  Little Truck was a write off :(

This isn't what was supposed to happen - Truck is paid off this month (July), and we were supposed to use its payments towards replacing the 2003 Mazda Protege (my car) which has about 285,000KM on it.  Great car...just that was the one that required replacement!  When it dies, we'll figure out what to do - will we just stay with the new vehicle, or replace the car too?  Maybe if I get a super grand raise at work or something (ha ha) that could compensate for a second car payment (ha ha).

Sad to say goodbye to trucky at the repair shop. Notice the glass shards in back of bed.

Back to my injuries.  We spent 3 hours in the emergency room from beginning to leaving the hospital.  It was not too bad - we even ran into one of Husband's old friends who had moved back to Ottawa.  Small world!

The Doctor was actually one of the best doctors I've seen in years, besides my Naturopathic MD.  She was funny, asked questions, and had great bedside manner.  It made a frustrating and scary experience better.

I was diagnosed with a Mild Concussion and told to basically sit in the dark and rest for the next 7-10 days.

I could watch my tv series on Netflix for short periods of time during the day (in the dark living room), stayed off my phone and computer for the most part, and finally had a coherent conversation with Husband 5 days after the accident happened.  My brain literally hurt.  If I exerted myself, it pounded to let me know, "slow down".  The best way to describe it is a numb throbbing.

I couldn't multi-task until the following Thursday (so almost 2 weeks after the accident) - I'm all about the multi tasking, so this was weird to NOT do it.

I didn't bike until 2 weeks after the accident (a lowly 30km), and we turned around when I started feeling weird.  I didn't work out with Shaun T for the first time until this past Wednesday, as I couldn't - I got way too confused and my head throbbed.

I credit the fact that I only had minor pain in my shoulders, back, and neck from the impact to actually being fit.  I literally have been strengthening my shoulders, neck, and back with working out almost daily since the end of October 2014.  I am SO surprised my injuries weren't worse than they were.  Who knew being fit could also help you recover from or have reduced injuries from an accident?

I'm pretty much back to normal now, but it shows you - every choice you make, place you go...it can change your plans in a flash.  Take each moment and live it.  Don't live with regrets and "I'll change it later" attitude.  You have to choose what you do today - because life's nails in the road come without notice.

Do you really want to look back and not be happy with your entire life?

I think not.

I am thankful we only lost a vehicle, 3 weeks of my "normal" life, and some financial insecurity.  A week after our accident, a friend's sister was in a car accident where she was airlifted to the hospital, was in ICU, and has months of recovery ahead of her.  I also lost a human Ridgeback acquaintance of mine during this time - not much older than we are.  That's terrifying.

Live in the (logical) now.

Friday Night Date Night with Shaun T: Month 2 Friday Night Fight Round 2

Holy Crap!  The Beachbody site tells me I'm 221 days into my life change of making fitness priority again!  I LOVE being about to challenge myself again, and have time for other life things too - like Husband and the Zoo.  Oh, and Girly things like painting and crafting.

Anyone who knows me from my CBT days, knows I was pretty much AWOL and stuck in the Dungeon all the time slaving away. It seems like a lifetime ago!

Having a life = Priceless

***************************

Shaun T likes to push me to my Max.  Like where I am just so exhausted or in so much pain that I flop to the ground.

This is a good thing though, as I seem to be Maxing out later every day. I can't see anything negative from having longer endurance.

Right?

Right??

So Friday Fight: Round 2 the apparently the hardest workout he has put together.  Because his other workouts were a walk in the park?

Every move lasts 1 minute, unless it's a Right side only then Left side only move (those are 45 seconds per side).

Here we go!

Iron Legs - Alternate Back lunge with a Squat, stand up and squeeze your behind. Repeat.

Floor Hops - Downward dog position, alternative legs to the side

Scissor "X" - Speed knees alternated with "x" arms while moving legs to alternate side (jacks)

Plank Jack Front Raise - On knees, alternately raise arms in front of your.

Plyo Hook Lunge - From chair position, alternate rear lunges with alternate arm hook at the front  - this was a fun move!  I like hooking.

Hit the Floor Tuck Jump - Side lunge and touch the ground, raise arms at the centre and repeat the lunge touch the ground on the alternate side.

Free Runner - Left side then right side (45 seconds each side) - Front lunge and life arms in power move to raise yourself from the lunge

Power Jump Dive  - Legs apart, fall forward, take two hand steps backwards, and tap alternate knees before falling forward again.  It's a lot more controlled then I explain it :)

Ski Down Abs - Sit on your behind, and row arms from side to side, like you are rowing a canoe or kayak.

Lat Push Up Alt - With arms close to your body, alternate diagonal push ups - this works the lats (aka upper arms)

Low High Switch Kicks - Low front kicks when Shaun T yells, High Front Knee kicks when Shaun T yells.

Slap Back Jump - Front squat with hands in front, stand up and squeeze behind with arms straight and slightly behind you.

Plank Jack Tap - in plank position, tap alternate shoulder with alternate hand - my shoulders feel awesome and hard core when I do this move!

Jab Speed Bag - Back lunge and move arms in a quick speed bag move (like you're hitting a boxing bag), then twist to the side and hop up & down like you're dunking a basketball

Plank to Squat - Hardcore.

Lunge Punch Kick - 45 seconds for each side - back lunge and come up jabbing with an oblique twist

Genie Tuck Jump - Keep core centred and fold arms like a genie - lift up alternating knees to centre of body

Wide Burpee Jump - Wide burpee and raise arms at the top for power

"X" Abs - On your back, move your arms and legs like a "x" - they must be off the ground!

Tricep Push Up Jack - Arms close to your side, do quick push ups to work the triceps

10 and 2 Punch - Move your body in the 10 and 2 position, punching alternate arms.

Oh hey, Shaun T took his shirt off - I was too busy sweating to notice when this happened.  Thank you, Shaun T!

8 Jab 2 Diamond - 8 jabs in a squat position, stand up and clench behind.

Burpee Punch Alt - Do a Burpee and punch with alternative arms on the way down.  I hate you Burpees.

High Knee Jab - High Knees while jabbing.  Simple, right?

Total Calories burned - 449

Awesome Level - Super!

Fynn even helped me work out.  No...he just made a mess of toys on the carpet, then flopped over when he Maxed Out.  At least he didn't try to join me - I generally lose my balance that way.

Some days I give up and don't bother sweeping. Silly messy, hairy, loveable beasts.

Now to decide...in 3 weeks, do I want to do Hip Hop Abs? Rockin' Body? Go back to P90X3?  Too early to stress about the next challenge!

*sigh*

Insanity Max 30 Month 2: Max Out Strength

This routine is similar to Month One's Tabata Strength.

But the moves are 45 seconds long with a 15 minute stretch "break" in-between.

Don't be fooled by "break" in the world of Shaun T - he doesn't really mean it.

Oh, but I'm sort of kind of starting to see some Rambo muscles going on. So his whip it attitude is doing something for me besides sweating gallons and cursing his very presence in my living room.

See...that little dent in the shoulder...it looks much better in person!

Back to hating on Shaun T (I love him, but I don't).

5 Minute Warm up - again, don't be fooled - you can Max Out in his warm ups!

None of the moves are repeated.

Split Plyo Lunge - Chair pose to alternating rear lunges - arms are up in the air the entire time

Plunge Plyo Squat - Chair to moving alternative side squats - arms go in and out with the move

2 Hop Squats - 2 Lunges - 2 Pulsing Squats, turn to side for 2 pulsing lunges - Alternate moves & sides

Hop Squat Lunge - Same as above, but only single pulses (no doubles)

Squat Thrust Lunge - Alternate single side lunge to centre, then squat with a thrust (aka tighten your behind) at the top - alternate lunge sides.

Squat Thrust - Squat with hands crossed at the front, stand up with a thrust and arms to the behind (kind of kinky!)

Push Up Jack Tap - Push up and tap alternate shoulder with hand at the top

Push Up Jack - In the modified version (aka me) - it's just a modified push up.

Plank Jack Push Up - Plank and side jacks - alternating legs

Plank Walk Push Ups - Push up and move alternating arm to side - similar to alternating push ups

Knee Push UP - Self explanatory, but a wider push up than the previous push up moves

8 Count Knee Push Up - Shaun T is a Jerk!  This move is self explanatory

Floor Switch Kicks - Lifting body like the top of triceps pushes, lift your butt off the ground - lift and kick alternating legs.  Similar to a standing swtich kick, just at a 90 degree angle.

Tricep Reach Kick - On your behind with legs bent, touch alternating foot with alternate hand.

Tricep Knee Taps - Tricep hold butt off ground, legs bent, and bring alternate knees to chest.

Tuck Extension - Start by laying on your back, come up and bring alternate knee to hand (meeting at the waist)

Floor Tuck Jumps - On your behind, hands on floor beside butt, knees bent and feet off the ground - these are like crunches, but pulsing very quickly.

Speed Knee and Ab - Head up and legs straight, bring hands to alternate knee in an oblique crunch

Tricep Push Up Jack - Plank and jack out alternating legs

Dive Push Up - On knees with hands close together, push up and hold at the top for a few seconds.

Lat Push Ups Alt - Body stays centred, but the hands move so you alternate push ups on either side

Knee Push Up Pulse - Low pulsing push ups - THE BURNING!

8 Count Knee Push Up - Slow knee push ups. Curse you, Shaun T!

Low Plank Hold - just that - knees off the ground, but low to ground.  SO difficult, but I did it!

Calorie Burn = Approximately 424 in 30 minutes.

One more work out in month 2 before they start repeating - I ought to be finished in 3-4 weeks or so, as sometimes biking gets in the way, or my CFS acts up, and I literally can't move and need a day off.

On a side note, as we're really making a conscious effort not to really drink alcohol, I find beer pint glasses make AWESOME water glasses for my workouts - they hold SO much more water than normal glasses!

Fake beer (aka Water)

The Bike Goal ALMOST Met and Insanity Max 30 - Max Out Sweat - Review

It was a bit nipply out on Sunday - biking gear included long bike pants, long sleeved bike shirt, windbreaker, and wishing we'd brought ear warmers.

It wasn't quite as windy as Saturday, but it took a good 15-20 minutes for my ears to freeze off a bit.

It was also my first day biking with my clip on pedals and shoes.  I haven't used these in about a decade, so it was a bit of a learning curve.  After about 5 minutes, I finally had my first foot clipped in.  Then my second foot followed suit.

Then we decided to ride on the Parkway as it closes Sunday mornings to cars and is open for fitness gurus.  I realized I would have to unclip to go over the high curb (and didn't have the time or experience) and ended up calling for Husband to help before I fell, and ended up falling sideways with him barely catching me before I ended up on the ground.

Fall number two in the last few weeks - a few weeks ago I fell mountain biking passing Husband - it was awesome - my whole left thigh was black and purple all week long and is barely noticeable now.

War wounds and experience.

Our goal - to make it to the Aylmer Marina.  We almost made it too.  20 kms after our ride started, I heard a clang, and my bike's resistance starting becoming rather difficult.  We stopped a minute later, and it appeared that one of my spokes broke.  My wheel also wouldn't turn.

Crap.  We were stuck in Quebec 20 kms from our truck.  Less than 1km from the Marina.

Husband swiftly broke the spoke off and realized the rear brake was causing the now warped rim to rub against it.  Off came the brakes, and I rode the slightly wonky Speed bike back to the Truck.

We still made decent time - 21 kmh - we averaged 23 over the last week, so considering the rear wheel was not perfectly straight, I'd say that's a victory.

Wheel is now fixed, and we'll be ready to roll again tomorrow!  Nothing can stop me!

Because biking 40km is never enough, I needed to get in my Max 30 fix as well.

Insanity Max 30 - Max Out Sweat Review

This workout consists of 3 sets of 3 different exercises and 30 second water breaks after these sets have been completed.

- Power Move 1 - Speed In & Out Abs - Mountain climbers for modifier me!

- Plyo Hook Lunge - Backwards Lunge with alternating arm hook

- Wide In & Out Knee Tap -  A plank with knee and arm meeting in the middle on the same side

- Switch Kick Punch - a Switch kick with alternating arm punches

- Power Move 2 - Hit the Floor Tuck Jump - Alternating side lunges while touching the floor

- Ab Attack - Squat with standing oblique crunches at the side

- Burpee Punch - A burpee with a punch out at the bottom - alternating sides

- Knee Switch Kick - Lift knee up to belly like a switch kick, and alternate kicking at the top

- Power Move 3 - 4 Jab 4 Knee Punch - 4 punches followed by 2 alternating punches with high knees

- Wide Fly In & Out Abs - On hands and feet, bent over (this sounds kinky) with your butt in the air - alternate same hand and foot in the air

- Free Runner - Alternating Leg lunges up and down quickly

-- Moving Push Ups - My favourite type of push up!

- Power Move 4 - 360 Hop Squats - 1 minute of frog squats (pulsing squat with hands hitting the ground on the bottom)

- Slalom - It's like skiing in the living room!

- Plank Jack Tap - Plank alternating arms to shoulders

- Scissor "X" - Alternating forward-backward and up-side scissor moves with arms and legs

- Power Jump Dive - Legs wide and fall forward, moving hands two steps back, then stand up for a side oblique crunch - repeat

- Floor Sprints - Slow sprint low to the ground.

I was kind of disappointed at the end - Shaun T kept his shirt on the entire workout!

C'est la vie - can't see Shaun T all the time!

An alternate to Shaun T - he understands me...

Until next time :)  Live for today as we can't change the past.

Max 30 - Max Out Power (Month 2) Review

I didn't work out or bike for 2 days due to pure utter exhaustion from my 9-5 shift last week.

This shift literally kills any energy I might have.  I still go to bed and wake up at the same time, but I leave home an hour later than normal, spend on average an extra 30-45 minutes in traffic due to more congestion, and I'm falling asleep in the car before I even reach Bayshore (with another 20km to go).

I get home, and either have a quick snack before we go biking and eat LATE (i.e. 8pm or later), or I get home, and have to make dinner or we end up with hot dogs or go out as I'm too exhausted. I am done. I have issues staying up past 8pm these days.

I try to work out before leaving for work these days, but literally couldn't keep my eyes open or energy level up enough on Thursday or Friday.  I barely made it through those days at work.

My body does ok on a schedule.  Take that normal schedule away, and stick me in an exhausting situation in the morning, and that sets me up for failure. I'm a mess. My vertigo returns, I usually get sick as my immune system screws up, brain fog returns, and a slew of other CFS symptoms.  Dealing with rush hour traffic for an hour to get to work vs the normal 2 stop commute to Tim Hortons-drop off Husband-my work in 40 minutes does it to me.  I do not recover at all these weeks (every 4-5 weeks).

Saturday afternoon, after I'd recovered from our 40km morning bike ride, I was jonesing for a workout fix!

Welcome to Month 2, Insanity Max 30 - Max Out Power with Shaun T!

My Body is My Equipment.

This routine is like Month 1's Tabata Power, but the moves are 45 seconds each with 15 seconds "rest" in-between.

- Slap Jack Jump - Up/Back  - I definitely need more co-ordination for this move - it's like rubbing your belly and tapping your head at the same time.

- Slap Back Jump - Side/Side - This move was easier as it was side to side

- Low Squat Plunge - Up/Back - My burning thighs!!  I was stuck in low squats going up & down!

- Low Squat Pulse  - I spoke too soon, as this move burnt even more as the squats were low with a 2" pulse movement - 45 seconds of pure pulsing!

- Chair Hold - My thighs burnt on this hold after the low squats.  No pulsing, just holding a chair squat for 45 seconds.

- Plyo Push Up Jack  - Diamond push-ups switching to regular push ups

- Arm Jack Push Up - A pulse at the top of the push up - I felt better at push ups today (for now)

- Push Up Pop - This was a closer hand push up with a pop or jump of the arms at the top - great for shoulders!

- Step Out Push Up - Diagonal Push Ups - this is my favourite push up move.  Yes, I said favourite and push-up in the same sentence.  I'm now certifiable.

- Knee Plyo Push-Up - Regular push ups alternating with diamond push ups - fun!

- 4 Count Knee Push Up - ohhh the burning!

- Pike Up Extension - Pike plank into a superman with sideway arms.

- Wide Push Up Extension - Wide push up with a superman (with sideway arms) at the bottom

- Low Plank Pike Up - 45 seconds of sphinx plank while moving alternating legs to the side.

- Ski Down Abs - I love this move on my lower back - it was a great stretch.

- X-Abs - Definitely a good one to keep the core tight - extend arms & legs into an "x" while on your back, with head/neck off the ground

- Backstroke - A nice oblique move while moving your arms from above the head to side - similar to the backstroke.

- Burpee Lunge - That was as hellish as it sounds.

- Squat Lunge - Squats with alternating back lunges - ow!

- Frog Jump Burpees - Jump up with a burpee on the bottom

- Lunge Pulse - Owwwww!  Pulsing Lunges - 'nuff said!

- Wide Burpee Jump Suicide - Oh my hips!  Anything burpees = bad

- Iron Legs - Alternating back lunge topped off with a butt squeeze

This workout was completed in Modified Mode (don't dis' it - it's still tough - my joints can only take so much, and plyometric moves are not what my body can take), and burned about 439 calories.

30 minutes. 30 minute work outs.  They rock.  And I have no excuses.

May this upcoming week be super for all - treat every day as a new beginning, challenges and all.

Little Successes - The Fight with Jeans No More!

My pants test is to see whether or not I can get them past my big arse hips without unzipping them.

I have one pair of work pants (my "big" pants) that I can finally do this with again, and this week - my pair of "big jeans" came off without unzipping them!

"Big Jeans" 

My problem area - my hips, thighs, and behind. Thank you, Genetics!

These are the areas that are getting fit last.  So my pant legs are looking baggy, but I still can't squeeze into my smaller pants...YET!

I follow my progress based on measurements, fit, and my faerie tattoo - where is her wing and the dragonfly? The goal is to get them back to where they were before I lost my fitness motivation.

Hopefully I can fold these jeans up (and the other 3 in my current rotation) up in lieu of my smaller jeans collecting dust on the shelf within the next month or so.

Slowly but surely.

******************

I did miss 3 days in a row working out.  Once I can't remember why (yay brain fog), the following day was due to a bridal dress fitting for a wedding I'm in in August, and Friday I got home and Husband wanted to run errands - we didn't get home until after 9:30pm and I was spent.

So back right at it Saturday afternoon and again this morning.

I missed Shaun T, but I did NOT miss Tricep Curls.  They are my toughest move and one day I will finish them all without Maxing out!

This is ALL I can think about when my Triceps are screaming in agony:

Until my next workout and post. Take the little victories each day has to bring you and make each day better than the last!

Peace out!

My Longest Bike Ride - Ever!

So, the furthest I can remember biking is no more than 20 km in a round trip.  Really, it's all my awesome mountain bike and I could do on road or paved path trails.

When I lived in Port Credit (Mississauga), I would rollerblade once a summer with my friend Shea, from home to Union Station and beyond - about 25km.  But We would Go Train back home.  And there were lots of food carts around so we could fuel up along the way.  Why once a summer?  We forgot each year how achy our bodies felt the next few days thereafter.

Annual rollerblade trip to Union

I think I'm currently stronger than I have ever been thanks to discovering Tony and Shaun T (yes, preaching the Beachbody workouts AGAIN). But as I've mentioned before, my Mountain Bike...made me feel weak peddling away.  The first two weeks of biking, I could NOT catch up to Husband.  I felt so slow and unfit.

Now 4 weeks later, after struggling to barely make it 18 km, we did it.  We made it to the edge of Downtown Ottawa!

We used to see Moodie and Highway 417 as the end of the ride before turning around.  Like the pathway on the other side of Moodie was the Dead Zone full of Zombies and monsters that would slow us down and eat us for dinner.

One of our first goals with new speedy bikes was to make it past Britannia Beach on a weekend.  Now we can do that on a weeknight!

A few weeks ago, we struggled to make it to the Ottawa River Parkway Beach.

So our goal yesterday was unspoken, but one we had spoken about over the last 4 weeks since Speedy Road Bikes came home with us.

We kept riding past our normal turn around points...and it just happened.

We sat down on a bench outside the War Museum, fist pumped our success, had our granola bars and snuggled for a bit before deciding we had to venture back home.

We made it!!

We slowed down when we needed to catch our breath, sped back up when we'd recovered, and just zoned out.

It took us 1 hour and 4 minutes to get there, and only 1 hour and 11 minutes to return home.  Average speed was 22.2 km per hour.

Pretty good considering neither of us has ever biked that far.

The day after...my neck is slightly sore, my trigger thumb for the gears is a bit sore, but the rest of my body does not feel like it biked so far.  Boo-yah!  I must be doing something right.

And I slept the whole night through and even remember dreaming.  Most nights I wake up constantly, don't remember dreaming, and just give up sleeping part way through.

Maybe I'm finally on the road to recovery and finally defeating the CFS beast!

And now having a new goal - beyond 50 km!

Release The Hounds! Adventure on The Pipeline!

I love that I can say, "Release the Hounds!" and we actually release our own hounds!

We are owned by two gorgeous Rhodesian Ridgebacks - Gideon (almost 7) and Fynn (5) - otherwise known as Good Dog and Bad Dog.

Good Dog (Gideon) was lovingly raised by his breeder -  exposed to excess love, cuddles, and positive reinforcement from Day 1. 

He's perfect.  He's the reason we love Ridgebacks.

Bad Dog (Fynn) was rescued via Power of Attorney 2 weeks after the breeder (who had Dementia)'s friend came over and found 10 puppies in the basement kennel with their mom.  We found out we were chosen to be albe to rescue one of these pups on my Birthday - they were born on Husband's Birthday.  It was fate.  They were 14 weeks old by the time we had two to choose from in Ontario, and Fynn chose Gideon at the rescue (Batz, growled at Gideon - Fynn licked Gideon).

We know very little about Fynn's background other than his parents were both first generation Ridgebacks from Africa, and that they were rarely handled during that crucial puppy rearing stage. 

Without going into too much detail, it took Fynn a year to be able to sit in the same room with us. Another two years before he could be trusted outside his kennel while we were at work. Another year to learn that it's okay to ask for pets.  And he's finally full snuggle mode with those he loves and trusts.

If you're afraid of Fynn or give off bad vibes, however, he will NOT be your friend.  He will not like you.  And he looks pretty scary when he's not your friend. 

As our awesome trainer said - he will be hte best dog he can be.  He'll never be perfect.  But he definitely tries so hard.  We work with him every day, and are helping him reach his full potential.

So after being owned by Fynn, any other dog would be a walk in the park!  It's stressful, anxiety ridden, but rewarding and awesome. 

Gideon is a people dog. Fynn is Gideon's dog. Fynn would be lost without Gideon.  And Fynn is also the annoying little brother figure to Gideon. 

So many puppy stories - for more blog posts!

**************

The Pipeline is where we used to bring the dogs once or twice a week when we lived in the Middle of Nowhere. 

It's this awesome Gem of a place which our Breeder introduced us to. There are ATV trails, an empty field, and the dogs absolute LOVE to run there.

I hadn't brought them there in ages.  But had a random Wednesday off (I work an extra 22 minutes a day to get the second Wednesday of each month off). 

It's 7am on my day off, and I wasn't in bed. I was in the car driving with the dogs to the Pipeline.  45 minutes later, we were there.   there weren't any other cars parked, and I couldn't hear any ATV's, so off we went. 

They bolted.

 

They were SO Happy to just be running and chasing each other, and I was so happy to see their Happy Tails wagging!

Because of Fynn's anxiety, we can't free-run them in places strangers (and dogs) might be. 

Their recall is still strong - Fynn recalled like a Pro everytime I called him.

I'm coming Mom!

 

Closer Mom!



Mom is SO proud that I came back!
 

Gideon's tail was wagging during our entire trek.

Mom!  I'M SO EXCITED - Come Chase ME!!

But our journey eventually came to an end :(

Happy Puppy Bums!

So my plan is to see if there are any non-busy ATV trails near Arnprior, Richmond, or Carleton Place so we can take them more often without worry of running into anyone else. 

If all else fails, there is a really big field and small trail nearby that I can bring them to if we go REALLY early on a weekend morning - likely before Husband wakes up.  I'll just bring hot dog bits with me, just to ensure their recall is retained. 

Until our next adventure! 

---Systic

Welcome to My Blog - Part 1 - The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

I'm new to this whole blogging thing - people tend to have handles (aka code names) for themselves in blogs - so I'll be my 16 year old self - Systic.

Who knew 20 years ago I'd be rebooting myself to a better me? Who knew that life would constantly evolve and shift like a rollercoaster? Who knew being an adult was like this?

Me at 24

Almost 12 years ago I lived in an apartment off Lake Ontario in Port Credit, Mississauga, Ontario. This is where I began my journey into CFS - known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, with a touch of Fibromyalgia. It wasn't a bad building, the superintendents just did half assed repairs and maintenance.

Covering up issues (aka treating the symptoms) vs fixing the actual underlying cause.

I was healthy, and then I got a cold that wouldn't go away - the details of the symptoms are rather gross, and Merlin (my African Grey) still makes my gross sick sounds once in awhile as a reminder. Jerk.

Respiratory issues just wouldn't go away. I saw three doctors in 3 months. I was put on inhalers. I was sent to the Sleep Clinic. I was desperate and falling into the abyss of the unknown.

I went from active and healthy to a lethargy, body, and mind that squashed the person I was.I was 24 years old. I felt like I was 65 years old. My once quick brain was mush, my body which was active and full of life was intensely sore and fatigued. It literally happened overnight.

This is how I felt most days - this picture actually makes me jealous that I'm sleeping then - I need a nap!

From my research, the cause of the onset of symptoms, and doctors analysis, it was determined to be Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

What is that (I asked)? Hell (answered my body and mind).

The main symptoms are: Fatigue lasting over 6 months, Loss of memory, sore throat, enlarged lymph nodes, unexplained muscle pain, headaches, unrefreshing sleep, extreme exhaustion that lasts more than 24 hours after physical or mental exercise, brain fog, dizziness, visual disturbances, more depression than normal, mood swings, anciety, major sleep issues. I could go on - but I can't remember my symptoms half the time.

I honestly don't like complaining about it. I just deal with it. I keep super busy, or I fall asleep. Our friends used to know me for just crawling in a corner and falling asleep. I barely made it through the opening credits of movies.

When I stop, I drop.

I went from a 3.9 GPA in college with an active lifestyle size 2 body to not being able to remember my friends or familys names, remembering names of common objects, forgetting my thoughts mid sentence, napping wherever I could, literally catching 30 second naps at red lights while driving, feeling so much pain after a workout that I had to wait 2-3 days before I could work out (to feel the pain all over again), literally falling because I was so dizzy, I would wak up at the Witching hour every night (3am), to the size 10 body I ended up with in October 2014. And as you can tell, my thoughts are everywhere as my mind is constantly racing.

The mainstream doctors couldn't help me. Sleeping pills woke me up, the wake up pills they prescribed me made me sleep by noon; and drinking hot milk and reading a boring book was the final advice given by my lady doctor (who I just use for birth control pills now - may as well use some of those health tax dollars we pay every 2 weeks).

I was desperate after 10 years...so desperate. We even considered paying $6,000 for a sleep trial...but what if it was a scam?

So I started seeing a Chirpractor again for my pain. In his clinic, there was a Naturopathic Doctor (MD). I asked Husband what he thought about it - we agreed, I couldn't really do much worse. I was so done.

I started seeing her, and she just looked at me without me saying a word, and said she could help me. My lymph nodes were all inflamed, by endocrine system was so clogged with what she calls "bugs" - the mould spores. It started with probiotics and other vitamins/remedies; cutting out Gluten, Sugar, and Yeast; and monthly visits for the first 3 months. She said it would likely take 2-3 years to get rid of the crappy mould that was in my body (see above - apartment I moved out of had mould in it that I found when I moved out - it had been there probably a good 6 months - makes sense to me why I never recovered - it was in my lungs and body). She had successfully treated many mould cases when she lived in Vancouver (aka lots of rain = lots of buildings with mould).

Just over 2 years later, I am still recovering, but with many of my symptoms gone or 50% better. I tried to go cold turkey without my remedies and probiotics summer of 2014 - Husband told me to go back to my Whoodoo Voodoo Doctor, as whatever she was doing was helping me. I don't really know what she does. Whatever she does, It really does work. As per above, I tried to stop her treatments, and I went rather downhill over those months. I did NOT want to go back to that prison of floating over my life.

She's the only person who has listened to me. The only doctor who has helped me. I wouldn't wish this feeling of CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) on anyone. How I would describe it is: think of your worst sleep ever - you know, that day where 10 coffees don't help. Think of this day every day. For 12 years. Never feeling refreshed. Ever. It's not a normal unrefresh, but something I just can't describe to its full extent.

I think my only saving grace is that I've generally eaten relatively healthy and tried to exercise when I was able to.

So I'm finally on the road to recovery with my CFS.

That's part 1. Part 2 is my lack of exercise and how I started back up.

I'm a little bit Crazy!