Heavy day; in the good way

I missed a couple of lifting posts, sorry about that. Its been a little hectic here as the holidays often are, filled with un-fun purchases such as an external hard drive and a washing machine. Hell I may as well buy more work-out shoes at this rate. I'm officially not doing the Starting Strength program at this point; still working on the lifts as outlined in the book but switched up the programming to see what happens after getting stuck at weight much lighter then it should be. Today was 'heavy day', the workout where I start the sets of each exercise with the bar and raise the weight each set until I max out at three reps. Maxed squats out at 85 lbs, overhead rows at 55 lbs (those include a warmup set with the 35lb bar), and hang cleans at 65 lbs but was good for 5 reps for all three sets.Some were uglier then others but wth.

Tough workout, it took alot out of me. There was no easily eaten food at the house so I stopped by the grocery store before going home, and picked up a single serve bag of peanuts. When I couldn't find them before leaving the parking lot I was like, damn! Luckily they were hiding under the paper towels and I made it home.Next workout will be Sunday or Monday for reps as far as squats go, going from all standard bench to some flat, some incline and some dumbbell, then deadlifts which will be a max-out set as last deadlift session I stopped raising the weight at 125.

Last night's workout

Is it possible the solution to the extra-crowded gym is to go later? I hope so. Last night I got there at 6:30, hopped on an elliptical for 30 mins and the place was pretty well cleared out by the time I hit the squat rack. I know people are creatures of habit but it is a tiny bit annoying when they assume I haven't been to the gym just because it wasn't at the same time they happened to be there. Oh well. Light squat day, two sets of 10 with the bar, 2 sets of ten at 55 lbs, one set of eight at 55, in the middle when I lost focus. Bench presses were ugly, failed at 70 lbs and struggled with two sets of three at 65. I may change that to using dumbells. My deadlift was lame too, got the final set of five at 135 in but my back felt bendy. Going back to 115, then 120 etc. It is the day after and I feel good, the only pain is in my wrist when I have weight on it but otherwise okay.

Rough day

It's been a long head-achy day. I couldn't get it together to cook, so had a slice of pizza and a salad. After this settles down I may go for a walk/run, just feel kind of run-down and depressed. This should be my favorite month, I love Christmas and it's cold out but it isn't happening for me so far. I think the relentless recession talk is getting to me. Saturday night I was so bummed I ordered $70 worth of Philosophy stuff from QVC in an effort to be cheered up. Maybe when it gets here it will have the effect. Basically I want good-smelling stuff for showering at the gym, it is not the most pleasant experience in that locker room and needs all the help I can get. Work has been slow and I could use a good brow grooming, professional haircut and pedicure for starters. High maintenence much?

Interesting training session today

Today was 'heavy' squat day, so after warming up on the elliptical for ten minutes and 20 back extensions I hit the rack and made three good sets of five at 65 lbs. So bouncing back from the flu pretty well. Then overhead press at 55 lbs, power cleans at 65! That is where the interesting part comes in. 65 lbs is a personal record for me with cleans, and I need to concentrate. This was made challenging by the presence in an already crowded, after-work gym by a seven-foot tall old man, wearing a belt and black tights walking back and forth endlessly behind me. It was like when friends are playing pool and trying to make the opponent miss the shot. My sets weren't exactly five in a row, but I did it and have confidence it will go better next time. I came home, ate a bunch of not very yummy stuff. That could be due to PMS, there is always that day when I'm ravenous yet hate everything. Cool front coming in tomorrow thank frickkin GOD!

Back in the swing of things

Last night I did run/walk intervals for three miles, so yay me! First good long cardio since the toe incident. Today was squat, bench, deadlift day. Light squats, three sets, ten reps of bar only squats. Bench was three work sets of 65 lbs, then two 3 rep sets with 70 just cuz I felt like it. Deadlift was 135, going to get this up at least ten pounds by the end of the year. Throughout the session I did three sets of 15 reps back extensions too. It looks so short reading it like this but I was wiped out at the end, dizzy after the deadlifts.

Training blog

Went in yesterday, warm-up ten minutes on the elliptical 15 back extensions. Started with squats as usual, two sets, 10 reps with the bar only, 2 sets 8 reps 55 lbs. Went on to overhead press, warmup set with the 35 lb bar, three work sets with the 45 lb bar. I was struggling with these, really need to build these up. Hang cleans, quick bar only warm-up, added five pounds at a time to 60 lbs, three work sets at 60 lbs. Those are damn fun to do! Finished with two sets of stiff-legged deads, 95 lbs and 15 more back extensions. It went okay, my right wrist is still stiff but no pain.

Cat emery board, the sequel

The leather sectional was showing claw marks, and as the cats don't enjoy the trimming experience, I bought a Cat Emery Board. Having read lots of negative reviews of the website, I picked it up at Target for $19.99. It is a scratch pad that is supposed to file the sharp points off of the cat's claws while being fun and good for the cats. The big boy cat had taken ownership of it, I don't know if the little girl cat is really uninterested of if he is being territorial. Either way, I never see her on it.  It has been two months since the purchase, at first neither cat used it, but with time the boy has become a regular clawing away on it. Brace yourself for the noise, it sounds exactly like a cat destroying something expensive. I need to check myself to keep from reprimanding him from the noise by looking to see what is going on.
Is it keeping his nails trimmed? Sort of. When I check his claws there is usually one or two that needs the tip clipped and the others are short and smooth. To me, that's worth it. Its easier for both of us to clip one or two claws at a time. I am considering buying another one and putting it somewhere that the girl cat can get to it in private in the hope she will use it without him being domineering.

Finally back into training

Yesterday was the first day I ventured into the gym since getting the Plague. Its a good thing I took it easy as I am feeling muscle soreness today, that said, its better to feel sore after actually doing something rather then being ill. I warmed up on the ellipitcal for ten minutes and did 15 back extensions. When I started lifting I warmed up on the rowing machine but the elliptical works better for an all-around warm up I find. Then, onto the squat rack. My issues with form and adding weight to the bar prompted the decision to completely reset on squats. I did three sets/ ten reps or bar-only squats and, am feeling it in my quads today. Then onto bench where I gradually added weight to the bar to three work sets of 65 lbs. So, lighter then usual. I did two sets of bar presses on the upright bench while waiting for the rack to reopen up, then one set, five reps of 95 lb deads, one set five reps of 115. Finished it off with another set of back extensions and called it a day. Today my muscles are letting me know they did something, which I love. Next training session, Friday.

Not the walking dead anymore

I did try to watch that last night, took too long for anything to happen for me. Woke up today with the ability to speak, and was able to take an abbreviated walk last night so I am easing back into normalcy. Note to self; get a damn flu shot. Can you imagine if that happened on Ski week? I shudder to think. In other news, now I'll have to work my ass off thru the holidays after that unscheduled week off. Ah well, its all for the best one supposes. The plan is to get my hands around some iron later. I cannot wait and will post about how it goes.

Fugged, but I like it!

You may have noticed the lack of training posts this week. I got a killer flu Sunday afternoon and still fighting it- now my voice is non-existent. So, in an attempt not to complain incessantly I've been focusing on other things. Such as this outfit, which the Fugly Girls hate, but I think is really cute. Look at those sexy boots, pretty dress that fits perfectly, you can see her form yet it is covered and young-looking. My evening-wear aesthetic is consistent, feminine and body conscious with a little edge here and there. So what if it doesn't scream editorial, it's nice to see a starlet look so pretty.

Speaking of Christmas, this was horrifying!

As if Project Runway wasn't ruined enough by Gretchen's ugly clothes for the farm, now there appears to be an actual trend of clunkiness! This year's clunkiness is comparable to the hideousity that was Doc Marten's in the 80s and Crocs clogs for far too long so I guess we should be used to the ugly shoe trend. So sad, in a season that is meant (by my decree) to celebrate sleek, shiny, maybe even sparkly shoes but never ever shoes that one could wear to happily walk through manure in. Poo.

The Christmas debate (non-religious)

It happens every year. At least one, usually more, of my friends complains about Christmas decorations, Santas, etc. appearing everywhere before Thanksgiving. I strongly disagree. I'm sure this comes from moving to Florida when I was five, but to me Christmas is the best holiday and why not extend it for two months? I remember wearing cute fur-trimmed coats (mine was navy-blue w light-blue fur trim) navy tights, fluffy hats, walking home from kindergarten looking down at the snow melting into oily puddles at the side of the road, The oil, water, ice mixture turned into shiny dark rainbows at my feet. Now, even though many years we can wear shorts and flip-flops for the winter holidays (extremely disappointing!), I long for jewel-toned velvet, fur trims, fluffy scarves and long leather gloves. Christmas means jewelry, perfume and lingerie in pretty boxes. It means getting dressed up, so rare when one lives in the land of capris year-round. Your make-up doesn't sweat off and one looks and feels comfortable and beautiful. It is the time of year that I wish was all year round, okay we could have two months of hottish weather to keep it special. Extending Christmas is an extension of my favorite fantasy time.

whining and dining

Well, not yet but I'm going to make chicken soup today to help me recover from this dang ol cold that attacked yesterday. This soup is dual purpose as it makes both soup and enables me to freeze tender cooked chicken for later in the week. This is the plan, get a big pot (Dutch oven) and either melt a blob of butter or pour in a couple tablespoons of lightly flavored oil (as in, not olive or coconut) and low-medium heat. Open big pack of chicken breasts with bones and skin and place in the pot. Making this with the bones and skin still on the poultry improves the flavor and texture of both finished products by 1000%. If you live in the Northeast or somewhere where all of the packaged chicken is boneless and skinless, complain!
As the chicken is browning chop onions, celery, green peppers (or whatever peppers you like) carrots and garlic and pile them on top of the chicken in the pot. Put a lid on it and cook for fifteen minutes or so. When the veggies are brightly colored, pour 8 cups of water in the pot and a liberal pinch of salt. Raise the heat to medium and cover again until it's at a high simmer and the chicken looks done. Then, reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and let it cook for an hour or two, until the chicken practically slides off the bones.
Take the chicken out of the pot and let cool separately. I keep two of the breasts for the soup, and put the rest in individual freezer bags to freeze for later. Then, when I have herbs, parsley, dill, cilantro, I add them to the soup towards the end. Yum!

Power clean success

I wasn't sure it would happen, based on the disaster that was Tuesday, but I was able to complete three work sets of 60lb power cleans today. They weren't all pretty but enough were, so yeah me! Training started with a ten minute warmup on the elliptical, 15 back extensions, four sets of 10 reps of squats with the bar only. Super-light and all form, even that was hard towards the end. Some ugly 55 lb presses, another two sets of back extensions, then the happy cleans :) Could the cute big guy at the squat rack have had something to do with it? Maybe. Wrapped it up with lat pulls, 80, 90, 100 lbs and straight-legged deads at 95lbs. So a pretty good workout after all.

Fighting crime!

So, my sweet little neighborhood had two questionable houses, or actually, two houses with questionable people living in them. After a few weeks of watching cars pull up in the street, a person going out to the car and chatting, smoking with the driver for a while, then the car driving away, I am tired of this. What to do? Well it is time to get over inherent shyness and get to know the non-criminal neighbors. I started today by introducing myself to the lady who owns and rents out the house across the street, she has the low-down on just about everyone and called the cops on the newest undesireable neighbor earlier this week. As that was painless, actually sort of fun, my next mission is to introduce myself to the other lady across the street and the ex-military guy on the other corner. Hopefully when we all know who the others are, and have opened communication, it will make our block less friendly to the bad guys. Wish me luck!

Second workout with a smashed toe

Gearing up for the second training session since the horrific toe incident. I hope this one is a lot better! Tuesday's session was a plethora of suck, from the weaker then usual squats, to complete left side weakness during presses and cleans. I couldn't even smile at the other gym-goers. I tried to make it worthwhile with some incline presses, thinking that as one doesn't stand during them it would be an acceptable substitute, but the hooks are in exactly the wrong place for my body, the higher ones are a strain to reach and the lower too low. I pulled some 95 lb straight-legged deadlifts and did two sets of back extensions and called it a day.
The plan for today is squat, bench, deadlift, two sets of back extensions and lat pulldowns.
Edited to add: back from the gym, it wasn't as bad as Tuesday's workout. Squats still stuck at 65 but whatever, bench down to 75 lbs, deadlift still at 135 and I was fighting for it. I did three sets of lat pulldowns, 2 at 70 lbs and one at 80, two sets of chest flys with 15 lb dumbbells then 20 lb, and three sets 15 reps back extensions.

In other news, I was going to post pics of the 'fit shorts' which now fit as well as they ever will, but the pics turned out awful! No wonder my boyfriend hated those shorts. I look like Spongegirl Squarebutt in the pics. Let's just blame that on the bad cam angle (and never wear those shorts in public!) Instead, for your viewing pleasure, here is a current toe pic.

Just got a nice pedicure and broke my toe!

Yesterday was great- most of it! Went out for oysters on the half shell, smoked mullet spread and gator sausage. Then watched a movie, Stolen with Jon Hamm and Josh Lucas and was about to find out what happened to Warrick on CSI (sometimes I get distracted from watching a show and never return again, resulting in mysteries) when, during a commercial break, I went to the kitchen. This is where it happened. Opening up the freezer for an ice cube, a frozen beer mug crash landed right on my toe. Holy shit that was a bloody painful mess. This woman hardly ever takes an aspirin and I was begging for painkillers, which we did not have. That damn toe hurt all night long, finally stopped this morning. I haven't decided if training is in the cards for today.

Napping may ease DOMS

Yesterday was squat, clean, press and straight-leg deadlift day, and today I am refreshingly not sore. One reason I took two rest days between training this week was due to the delayed onset muscle soreness experienced after deadlifting Monday. Normally, I would have said the hell with it just go lift, but I came across an article (will link when I find it) that said DOMS is related to rhabdo which scared me into waiting until fully recovered. In brief, rhabdo is a horrible result of dehydration and over-exercising which can be fatal. I didn't expect anything so extreme (one never does) but as I was coming off a week lay-off from lifting and there is relatively little information out there about 43 y/o women beginning to lift and the effects of that, decided to proceed with caution.
Squatted 65 lbs, nice form, cleans were at 55 lbs, presses 50 lbs, straight-leg deads 85 lbs. So either the same or a bit lower after the week off and I was so done after the session. Later that day I indulged in a good nap as well as sleeping in this morning and now feel good. The straight-legged deads really pushed my hamstrings to the point of concern but today is fine. I think the sleep made a positive difference.

Doms darn it

Sore back and ass muscles today, that's what I get for going on vacation. I wonder if having PMS contributes to muscle soreness and fatigue. After filling in this month's calendar of workouts I may not take a deload week and just lift thru to January. I'm still figuring that out. Today is an easy day, Pilates (the instructor was so insulted when she found out her class was half of the easy day) then Spinning. Those classes break down to abs, balance, and endurance.

Gotta love the disappearing post

So I'll try again. Today was my first training session after vacation, and I was dragging my feet, really not wanting to do it, but made myself. It was worth it. Strange that I didn't want to do something that makes me feel so good somehow afterward. Still working on squats, knees wanted to come in and felt less then strong but pushed through for three work set of four reps at 75 lbs. Not great but will become better. Bench presses were good at 70 lbs, strong and used my back too. Deadlifts were good too, a full set of five at 135. My form needs work on everything and that is the plan, stay at this weight for the next session and add 5 lbs after that. Training left me pleasantly spent and a bit shaky, so I ate protein in the form of tuna and salmon (two different meals) blended a green smoothie of fresh spinach and hot sauce, and had pineapple cubes. I read somewhere that the enzymes in pineapple are good for helping nutrients do their thing in the body. If I find it I'll link Here it is! up. Lifting was this morning then took a fast-paced three mile walk tonight. So it's back to routine in a good way, two months from now- SKIING!

Back from hiking

Chattanooga was great. The leaves were beautiful and it was refreshingly cool in the evenings. The trails were oddly unmarked which led to a more adventurous hike then the terrain normally would have, I'm spoiled by Western NY trails that even give mileage markers. Tami, my staunchly conservative sister and I, the arty right-brained one, managed to see the sights and wander around the woods without strangling each other in spite of a few tense moments. We went on a cavern tour which was surprisingly gorgeous, the guide was funny and the waterfall inside the mountain was breathtaking. I'm a sucker for a good waterfall. Rock City was strenuous enough for me to find it a good time, and bizarro at the end. How to even describe this? Inside a big cave, plastered with coral, some wealthy and evidently also insane German woman had hundreds of gnomes shipped over from Germany in the 30s and placed them in odd tableaus here and there. Then, as if that isn't odd enough, you get to Fairy-tale land. Not Disney fairy tales, Grimm.

It is claimed that kids are delighted by this. We didn't have any with us (thank God) but it was creepy as hell in my opinion.
Finished the first workout after vacation, it was not a session I looked forward to but I feel so good now. Squats are still a work in progress, 75 lbs and shaky legs. Bench press was ok, 70 lbs and felt good, deadlifts were the best, 2 warmup sets then a full five rep set of 135. I added two sets of back extensions and lat pulldowns at 90 lbs. I'm pretty beat right now. The plan is to continue training until the January ski trip, when I'll be gone for two weeks. I may be able to train at my cousin's gym during that time too.

Bad morning turned into great workout

Lying in bed, getting up and ready for the Treadmill Interval class was not appealing. I remembered that the gym was considering canceling it and got up and ready anyway, rushing, knowing I was late. On arrival, every treadmill was taken- Damn! So I went downstairs and took a minute to regroup, and decided to lift. In case it isn't obvious, I dress for the occasion, and running with a group of women is a completely different occasion from lifting with mostly guys. For running, not only are the shoes completely the opposite of lifting shoes, so are the clothes. Instead of being comfortably covered in a soft, sweat-absorbing tee and yoga pants I was wearing running shorts and a couple of sports bras. But oh well, time to suck it up and lift.
This wasn't the most comfy I've been, and the check-out looks were distracting, as well as the conversations started by guys who usually smile and nod then go about their business. It really is all about the skin showing I guess. I got a good workout in, squat 70 lbs, bench 65, deadlift 135. Yes- 135 lbs! Personal record there and met my goal for this month.

Happy Birthday Heidi!

After checking out the stats showing where my blog views come from, I was happily surprised to see a lot of other countries, Poland, Iran, Latvia and others. So hey if any of you are also blogging shoot me a comment so I can check out your blogs too, it doesn't have to be a nice comment ( but that will help its chances to be published haha). Thank-you all for taking a peek.
Now, onto Project Runway. Why oh why are they allowing Gretchen's awful and weird Chico's style clothes a show and rejecting Michael Costello's awesome Copper Cher Collection? So, part of the finale I can't wait for, sort of, is going to be wasted on her lame-ass old-lady hippie stuff. I've been watching this show since the beginning and it never fails to disappoint. At least Heidi Klum finally pushed those hideous bangs to the side and hey, there is a gorgeous woman under there!
In workout news, had a good one, Pilates was first. It reminds me a lot of yoga but not as challenging. There is soft music and the instructor leads you into positions that get difficult quickly but somehow it just seems easier then yoga did. Maybe its the lack of positions on the wrists. Anyway, got abs done there and took Spin after. Coming home to my peaceful house and some wine was wonderful. Good night all!

So freaking close!

Being a delicate flower, checking out my weight regularly does too much to my mood for the day so there was a need to keep an eye on progress in a less emotionally loaded way. Thus the 'fit shorts'. Three months ago I came across a forgotten pair of Old Navy shorts in a drawer, the kind one wears to wash the car or run to the grocery store, nothing great. As my plans for that moment were nothing great, I pulled them on. Tugged them on actually and to my horror once they were up, strangling my thighs and ass, the button and buttonhole were a good three inches away from each other. That is when this blog changed it's focus from marketing and consumer stuff to fat.
Its been three months, and the shorts are just shy of fitting perfectly, in fact a lot of people would wear them the way they fit now but I demand total comfort from knockabout clothes so when they are loose enough they will be accepted back into rotation. I'm sure to have something else around here that is tight to become the new 'fit shorts'.
Yesterdays workout has me a bit sore and creaky, my wrists did not feel good last evening but are okay now. I hope the stress on them is causing increased strength. Some kind of cardio is in store tonight.

So much beautiful

This is how Vogue rolls at their finest

Image thanks to the Project Rungay guys.
Can you even stop looking? Anne, dripping with diamonds, holding that adorable clutch. This picture makes me forget about world conflict and float on the pretty.

Dizzy after training today

So I had it all figured out, my squat stalled because I needed more recovery time. Then I read more stuff (Damm that reading!) and came across a blog that said women need less recovery time then men. That, combined with being less then thrilled about the pilates/Spin class plans for tonight led to barbell training a day ahead of time instead. Since squats are a sticking point, the new plan is to practice the hell out of them and do my best while keeping it low and good form. Presses were light today too, just 50 lbs, then followed them with Romanian deadlifts at 95 lbs. Had a twingy back so okay with that weight for now. Power cleans wrapped it up at 55 lbs and a set on those inverted back things (sorry brain stall). Sounds like an easy day but I was drained and dizzy after, needed to take a seat for a few minutes before hopping in the shower and still feeling Gumby-ish. Also I broke a nail but that's fine, am cutting them all down to prepare for the hiking trip in the mountains next week- WHOO Hoo!

Monday Monday

The Fugly Girls hate this dress on Katherine but I think it is pretty and sexy without being slutty-looking. The picture isn't flattering, the dress is fun.

The cat is going nuts, I'll be back later.

Finally increased squat weight!

Decided to lift at my brother-in-law's house and finally broke through to 85lb squats after lots of build-up sets. They assured me that I was indeed using a 45 lb bar when the 20 lb increase had me surprised. Now I'm wondering if the fact that there is no mirror in front of their rack made a positive difference, maybe old man Rip does know what he is talking about! Next challenge is to do it again and more in my overly mirrored gym. Overhead presses 55 lbs but only three rep sets to fail, and Romanian deadlifts 95 lbs 4 sets, the last set was ouchy. Getting that done this morning means I'll have a good long break today and can take Pilates (what? my abs need the help ya'll) and then Spin later today. So, yeah good work-out day :-)

125 lb deadlift, big wheels here I come!

They weren't pretty but I managed 5 reps for a personal best. This will be the weight for the next dead-lift session also, I need to make sure it's all good before going heavier. 65 lb squats, still getting used to the low bar position. The whole point of going low bar is to lift heavy weights, so if it turns out it just doesn't work for me back to regular high bar I will go. Either way, I refuse to give up on squats just because they are hard and sometimes disappointing. 65 lb bench-press too, nice and solid for all three sets so next bench session going for 70, about time I get back there. I actually did ab work- a set of crunches on the Swiss ball that Rippetoe hates so much and two sets of back extensions, one before and one set after dead lifting.

Saturday procrastination

Some things are easy to do. Going to the gym, getting a pedicure, shopping, all easy. Some things I dread, and one of them, coloring my hair will not wait one more day unless I am going for 'distinguished' as a descriptor. Where the dislike of doing this comes from I'm not sure, ok it's messy and takes an hour but that includes lots of activities I engage in and some are my favorites. The last time I had it done professionally was not satisfactory, took three times as long and cost tons more, maybe keeping that in mind will help.

Lifting was a serious consideration today but the muscle soreness in my hamstrings from the Romanian deadlifts I added to the routine Thursday changed my mind, so I took a Spin class instead. Definitely adding the Romanian deads in regularly on non-deadlift days as they worked my hamstrings, next thing I need to add is ab work. Yes, I am possibly the only woman who works out regularly who avoids ab work and it is becoming an issue as in, I suspect weak abs are interfering with my squats. Blah! I'd rather do two hours of cardio every day then work abs but that won't make them any stronger.

Don't take the interval treadmill class away!

Damn, attendance is spotty at the HIIT running class on Fridays and there is talk of changing it to an Ultimate Challenge class. Ultimate Challenge classes are a combo of HIIT and circuit training, sort of a Crossfit Lite thing, and they are good. Someone of average fitness could take them three times a week and add in a couple of steady cardio sessions and improve their fitness a lot. However, not me. Full sessions devoted to lifting and full separate sessions for cardio work better. Barbell full-body training and recovering from it is enough strength training and that interval class is a perfect added exercise for variety and cardio. So I voiced my opinion to the instructor and her boss and one rather loud-mouthed other instructor and going to hope for the best. In the short-term it isn't a big deal, the weather should be nice until June for steady-state cardio outside and I can take Spinning for variety too but those interval classes are kick-ass.

Cleans are dangerous!

Hoisting it up, working on form and sure enough I scraped my chin with the bar. Embarrassing! It made me laugh at least, and no blood was drawn. Today was a light weight workout, lots of barbell squats ass to grass, overhead presses, the dangerous cleans and wrapped it up w/ Romanian and stiff-legged deadlifts and back extensions. Sweat was pouring off me by the end of that 'light' workout. Tomorrow is the high intensity interval training treadmill class which is a wipeout too, in a good way.

How cute is this dress!

Perfect for someone with little boobies; sigh. When I find one for the busty ladies it will be posted too. You can find it at Nordstroms for $295 and I bet there are good less expensive versions floating around the department stores too.

Stupidest thing I've read this week

"THe bike:

Pro: good for rehabilitation purposes if you have a bad knee, ankle sprain, lower extremity problems, etc

Con: No core/upper body involvement..so you start to slouch cause your bike has a tv

THe treadmill--the worst :

Pro: If its a blizzard outside great for heart training, if you walk/jog/run without the holding the rail it is effective, especially with proper form.

Con: bad for knees and ankles for the majority when you don't have good level of propreoceptive training and not aware of a correct form of running. Proprioception is an important skill when running on the treadmill. Proprioception is basically intuitively feeling and knowing the position and motion of your body, feet, legs, arms, etc. at all times. It is being aware of all of the different actions of your running stride. So unless you practice on a wobble board for proprioception than go run outside --"the cushioning isn't the same as running outside, so you don't get the same bone benefits" "the pull of the treadmill on your ankles. Even though it is very very slight and you are jogging along just fine, technically, with the "ground" moving, it creates a slight pull against your ankle joints. It is possible that this can affect your knees or anything else up the chain as well. "
check this article from website for runners:
Runningplanet[/url]

Ok So the The winner is ....
The best Cardio Machine in the gym is... the Elliptical because your legs and arms are involved in the workout...simply as that."

(that was him, now this is me) Ok, did he just say that the treadmill is the worst machine for enhancing cardiovascular endurance and the elliptical is the best? Guess what, I don't need to practice standing on a wobble board before using a treadmill because I learned to walk at around two years old and have been doing so ever since. The elliptical, while fun and able to be used for either high intensity intervals or steady state endurance cardio, doesn't closely mimic any natural activities. This renders it virtually useless as far as improving functional fitness goes. The worst part of this is that some guy already complimented him on the great information. I need to get off of the Internet and start sharpening survival skills because with so many morons among us the collapse can't be far off.

Making it up as I go along

Looks like the simple beginner's routine I picked isn't so simple after all. Turns out that it is so focused on young males that the author barely acknowledges that old people like 40 year olds may be directed to the program and we need it to be tweaked. A lot. From what I have been able to glean from the Starting Strength forums, one nugget of information at a time, people who are not 15-26 y/o guys are not supposed to be squatting three times a week, need more recovery time and women- hey, I'm one of those- may not even need to do power cleans because of weaker wrists. Ya know, a chapter gathering all the information together rather then passing mention in a sentence or two in the humongous book would have been helpful.
But, it's just the second workout after de-load week and a good time for adjustments anyway. Now the plan is to double the warm-up sets, continue lifting as heavy as possible and take two full days between lifting sessions for recovery purposes. All-righty then! In spite of this the bod has improved, definitely not masculine at all but curvier and lifted. Also, the giant breasts are under control! Seriously, this is rambumctious boobs week and I was able to get a sports bra on with no struggling or jumping up and down. That alone makes training worth it.
So today, squat, bench, deadlift and take a 3mile run/walk this evening. So happy the outdoors is bearable again!
Almost forgot, I watched Thintervention last night. That show cracks me up. One can almost hear various exercise scientists' heads exploding as Jackie Warner traipses about spouting off misinformation to her clients. To lose weight one must eat every three hours (including protein shakes!), check. Put out of shape clients through torturtous long ass workouts, check. Berate the client who only lost two pounds that week, check. Put the ladies on a 1350 calorie diet, and be surprised and disappointed that she is STARVING and cheats on it, check. Those clients don't stand a chance of keeping the weight off. I suppose being on TV is reward enough?

Update on training today: I put another 5 lbs on my deadlift (yes those itty-bitty 2.5ers) and pulled 120 for 3 good reps. This possibly could have been better but the gym was a zoo today, I may try to describe it later. One of the few trainers who knows what he is talking about and I discussed my squat and he thought the issue might be hip flexibility. After demonstrating some weightless squats for him tho, we decided it is a strength thing I need work on. Also, broke through the weak bench press because somehow I didn't get the memo that one is supposed to grip the bar tightly. Yes, duh right? That sure makes a difference! Really great training today.

No good deed goes unpunished

Honestly, some people are so rude! A few months ago, when I decided to get serious about lifting, I checked out Bodybuilders.com. There is a lot of information there about different lifting programs and forums. On the forums it was posted over and over again that The New Rules For Lifting book was great, has a year of programming in it, etc. So, wanting to purchase the book I started at Amazon (of course! I'm an affiliate) and it was $18 plus shipping. I ended up buying it from a local bookstore for $17. The book is good and I plan to use a program from it when I've completed Starting Strength. Recently I looked for it on Amazon to add the link to a blog post, and found it for four dollars and change. First reaction, "Damn! I paid four times that." So, in an attempt to be helpful I posted the low price in the Bodybuilding forum. What happened? Nothing. Just a rude post that it is 'always cheap'. Yeah, always except when I wanted it. What kind of bitch responds to a helpful post that way? Internet rudeness at its finest.
In other, better news, it is finally cool in the evenings and run/walks at this time are incredible. Love the cool breeze while the stars are overhead and Halloween decorations beckon. Soon I will be hiking in the mountains with colorful leaves all around us, so looking forward to that.

Also, hello there Mr. Happily Well-Endowed! Ahhh, my goodness.

Delayed onset muscle soreness, in other words; Ouch!

My traps are feeling it today! The soreness isn't unbearable or even complicating freedom of movement, it's more of a vague stiffness and wanting to be rubbed. The wrists are feeling it too. The good news is that at the farmer's market today I carried many full bags of veggies with no problem at all, in spite of the offer to have then carried for me. This got me thinking about physical weakness. Today, the Disney Princesses are huge business and a cultural staple. When I was a child (the Medieval Times) it wasn't, however with the help of many early fairy-tales and a doting mom, I was the Princess. It even was my childhood nickname, as my sisters tease me about even now. Absorbing and embodying many stereotypical attributes of femininity; one of my most upsetting moments as a little girl was someone informing me that the name Terry could also be a boy's name. The horror! I immediately forbade anyone from referring to me in that way for, oh 40 years or so.

These notions of feminine gestures and movement are ingrained deeply in me, and others respond to them as well. The men I date and who are attracted to me are the type who open doors for me everywhere, carry the bags, work in the yard, the whole thing and I always accepted that as normal. I still like it and feel those behaviors show respect for the difference in gender and just make the day nicer but I wonder if I would be a stronger person today if things had been different way back when.

Powerlifting possibilities! Lionheart Fitness Center

Knowing that my friendly YMCA may become less friendly when the weights I'm lifting get heavy enough to drop, I did a little research and found this gym HERE. Steve is the owner and was very nice on the phone, a former competitive lifter who also trained at the same early hardcore gym I did back in the day. He assured me that his place has air-conditioning and a cleaning crew unlike the former gym, and that dropping the plates and using chalk is A-ok. I'm going to check it out soon, and wanted to post about it in case someone else in the area wanted a gym like this and didn't want to drive to Tampa to get one.

Today was the end of the deload, I squatted and seem to be stuck at 75 lbs. Seriously- I did not even keep good form all the way. Some people say pms interferes with strength but it comes back after. I hope so. Then overhead presses, still working on that form. Everything seems so easy until you read half of a Rippetoe chapter on it. Jeez there is a lot that goes into a lift. 50 lbs on the presses, then did some clean assistance work. Upright rows at 50 lbs and finally my sort-of cleans (I use the lowest safety bar setting on the power rack as the weights I'm on are to small to reach the correct height for the starting point of the lift. 55 lbs on my sort-of cleans- damn I was sweating up a storm and wrapped the whole thing up with back extensions, so no high heel wearing plans tonight.

Speaking of high heels (that is a smooth transition, no?) I am considering using Style.com's lookbook option and linking it here so everyone can be blessed with my good taste ha-ha. I'll see if there is time to do that, the last thing I need is total fashion distraction.

Fashion!

If, like me, you wish there was any decent coverage of real fashion on TV besides the Rachel Zoe show, may I point out a website with all the fashion any woman could want. Style.com has video of many of the shows, pictures of all of them, reviews and lots more. I can spend hours here- and the best news is long is back! Mini and shrunken everything has been everywhere for so long now I am truly sick of it, bring on the long skirts and blazers! Also, having your fashion streamed to you online is cleaner then piles of fashion magazines around the house. I have been guilty of this since being 13 years old and looking through Vogue with Brooke Shields on the cover (she was on every cover for two years it seemed in the 80s). Some cute jackets are on my Fall shopping list, fitted and shapely not shrunken, as well as another pencil skirt, perfect black pants and some sexy high heeled boots.

Ahh Wednesday

Amazing how long the day can seem when you are keeping track of everything that into your mouth. I did get a lot done yesterday though. My upper back felt the effects of those overhead presses Monday, and last night was just weird, tossing and turning somehow hot and cold at the same time, but not sick. Maybe it's a central nervous system thing? Trying to find information or experiences of women my age who start training with relatively heavy weights and barbells is difficult. The women my age who do this all seem to have been training for years which is completely different. I want to learn about recovery times and rates of progression. Maybe this blog will help the next woman in my shoes, a former cardio addict finally getting around to training with weights and wanting to do it the most efficient way. After the discomfort of last night I am going to take this week off from lifting more seriously as suggested in The New Rules of Lifting, but with the calorie counting I am still doing cardio. Took the 6am Spin class this morning and may hit the gym again tonight. Hiking through the mountains in less then a month- I can't wait!

Cutting the fat.

Well, one could say I've got the exercise part of this down. Spinning and interval running are my cardio and I have documented a ton about lifting. Three months ago I started using this blog to share my experiences with various popular and not so popular forms of training and I have found methods that work and built in physically demanding vacations to stave off boredom; including a soon to come week of hiking in the mountains and two weeks of skiing (SKIING!!) early next year. So, great, I'm 20% of the way there. Here comes the challenging part: diet. I want the best of both worlds, lots of lean body mass burning away calories and a lot less fluff which means I just want to lose fat. This complicates things. Being a good little reader and researcher I checked to see how to do this and approximately how long it will take.

Are you ready? A woman who is close to her optimal BMI can burn one to one-half pound of fat a week, as long as she consumes enough protein and continues lifting challenging weights. (Don't feel like looking for the citation at the moment) So, here we go, I plan to lose 20 pounds of fat in 20 weeks. If it turns out I don't need to lose that much I will reassess at the time. Good thing I don't have a beauty contest coming up in the next month or so!

First, I had to figure out how much I was eating, so Sunday I wrote down everything and put it in the Fitday chart. It was a basic day, fairly healthy foods with a couple of treats thrown in. The treats were 3/4 a cup of ice cream- yes I eat it out of the measuring cup, and half of a large-ish chocolate chip cookie. 2600 calories! Yikes, and that was a no wine, no crazy filet mignon type of day. Okee-dokee. So for the next two weeks I'm dropping that down to 2000 or less (keep in mind I work-out a lot and am 5'7") and at least 100 grams or protein a day. This worked out ok yesterday.

Speaking of yesterday, this was supposed to be the start of my deload or no lifting week but after lounging around all weekend and the shock of my eating habits, towards 5pm I started getting antsy. I decided to take a Spin class, easy, cardio and Pam teaches it, she is always entertaining. However, like I said, it was just after 5 and her class doesn't start until 7:15 and I was already climbing the walls bored. There is a 6pm class but it is ridiculous (the instructor does a lot of hopping up and down on the bike, weird tricep/ pushup thingys- yes while riding the bike, and some bizarre butt off the seat- thrust into the handlebars then move the butt back again while hovering over the seat move I wish I could videotape for this. No one on The Tour behaves that way!) Which meant I arrived at the gym with just enough time to train with barbells before taking Pam's class. I'm an addict.

Top Chef Reunion

Good thing the DVR remembered to record this. I was so unenthused with Kevin winning that the whole season was erased from my mind, but this brought it all back. Have to say, Kevin didn't seem that bad during the reunion episode. Probably because he wasn't allowed to speak! Seriously, he had a quick bit wherein he 'remembered' all of the past Top Chef winners, including duds Elian and Hosea, and that was pretty much it. We were also treated to one shot of Kev losing his cool and behaving like a loudmouthed jerk yelling at someone (there must have been at least twenty from which to choose), which was his primary skill through the show and the reason I suspect he was virtually cut out of participating in the reunion verbally at all.

Bald guy (Alex: thank-you Internet) apparently did not steal the pea puree! Amanda said he made it right next to her. Bald guy is very good at making guilty faces and pretty funny; he'd be a great character actor. It wasn't revealed if Amanda had recently been released from prison after serving alcohol to minors like she did in the Cook for Elementary Schoolkids Challenge, but she was so bloated and puffy-faced she very well could have been eating cheap baloney and white bread sandwiches all this time. (Don't ask how I know what they serve in prison). Amanda also completely blew her chance to own the ridiculous serving food cooked with alcohol to minors incident, saying only that the sherry was cheap. Hello clueless dumb dumb girl.

Angelo still makes me laugh, I wish he would have won but he and Tiffany are going to compete in Top Chef Masters, so that is just as good or better. If you watched the finale you may recall the other two finalists were Ed and Kevin, or as I like to think of them, The Douchebag Twins. Ed was shut out of Top Chef masters which: Ha-ha! He looked bummed about it but he egged Angelo on in the worst way when Angelo was trying to compete while still ill that Ed wiped out any good feelings I had for him previously. After Tiffany was eliminated Ed was just mean all the time. To fill up the rest of the show Bravo made little 'funny' clips, pimped the Dessert Show, the cross-eyed host guy asked some questions and that was about it.

Letting it fly!

Being a bit of a geek, I spend a lot of time on various Internet forums. This means interacting with people and keeping in mind that there is a real person behind posts and behaving accordingly. So, when a well-meaning but fashionably clueless person posted a request for links to purchase a pair of workout-capris with big cut-out holes running down the sides of the legs, I only momentarily bugged out before suggesting they change their focus. This however is my blog and i can say what I want. Stay away from all clothing with cutouts!! Just say no! It's tacky and sleazy and your friend will be talked about if she goes there!

Whew, ok I feel better. The person's response to me in defense of the terrible pants was that they were sexy and why not feel sexy at the gym? Because it is terribly distracting actually, but let's say a girl does want to feel sexy at the gym. Let's talk about sex.

First of all, men are hard-wired to view women who look like they can bear a healthy baby as sexy. So, any woman in the child-bearing age range who appears healthy and well-taken care of is going to attract attention. Secondly, you are at the gym which is an additional step in the healthy and fit direction. Also, if a woman is considering pants like that she is probably already wearing form-fitting clothing. Want to feel sexy at the gym? Smile more at the guys. As long as you are within the healthy weight range and have all your teeth I guarantee you all the attention you could want.

So much for sex, let's talk style. I am not advocating that everyone look the same at the gym or dress in baggy shrouds. My friend Pam works out in a sports bra and little running shorts, admittedly a skimpy outfit. Skimpy, but appropriate; the bra is for sports as are the shorts, she looks great in them and here in Florida less can be more. Now me. I can usually be found in black stretchy yoga pants and a form-fitting but relaxed t-shirt turned backwards to avoid too much cleavage exposure, a covered up but body conscious silhouette. Completely different from Pam's look, but equally appropriate. It isn't hard to figure out what to wear while working out that is comfortable and makes you feel attractive without veering into slutwear.

There is the sad fact that fitness models are often photographed in such slutwear that a woman who sees enough of these images may start to see the outfits as desirable. Here is a good example of a hideously tacky outfit.

Ladies, use the body of the model as your inspiration, but never ever the clothes.

Time to shake things up

Summer marches on and faced with yet another week of 90 degree weather I need to get out of the doldrums and enjoy this. They are sunny hot days, lots of people yearn for weather like this. I'm looking back to the beginning of Summer, what do people get excited about? What can you do in the Summer that you can't otherwise? I need to revisit these activities. So, I am going to the beach this week- for a sunset, not going to get all crazy and actually get sun. The truck will be washed- that is definitely not fun to do when it's snowing.
What else? Swimming I guess, honestly tho swimming in pools is usually more trouble then its worth with the inevitable ear infection and sunburn that follow. Okay, no swimming unless it feels irresistible at the time. One thing to look forward to is deload week- yay! As gratifying as lifting big iron bars is, the rest weeks are necessary too. The changes I'm making in training include giving the 6am Spin classes a rest for a while. I miss the after-work crowd at the gym and sleeping until 7:30 or 8 like a civilized person. So, lifting my ass off this week, focusing on heavy deadlifts tomorrow and heavy squats Friday to get ready for rest week. Then, during rest week take the Ultimate Challenge classes and a Spin class or two. I'm also considering making it a no wine or chocolate week as a sort of soft detoxing/ clean eating/ whatever one would call it.

Beat but feeling good

No cardio today, trained squats, presses and power cleans. I added two sets of front squats with just the bar, focusing on form and getting way down there past parallel. Haven't added weight to the bar for the standing presses yet- looks good for next session though. Practicing cleans from the pull position with the bar, I added ten lbs for a set but it was sloppy as hell and as I'm still working on form I took the ten pounds off and did the next two sets of five with bar only. That is one sweat-inducing exercise! It is also an attention-getting one, so the people who don't like being chatted with at the gym may want to avoid it. I don't mind as long as the person isn't obnoxious (Lady from last week, that was you). My traps are feeling the most worn at the moment but not too bad. Had my fat-free chocolate milk, strawberries and can of tuna post workout meal, and am considering brewing a pot of coffee. Yum!

high heels + deadlifts= a stiff one

Back, that is. I attended this benefit yesterday, and when one has been working out and the legs and backside really show it, it's hard not to show off the improvements with some high sexy heels. I did, and it was fun sashaying around smiling coyly. Today my back is kind of stiff as a result- but it was worth it! Woman cannot live in gym clothes and sneakers alone even though that has been my wardrobe throughout most of the summer and probably still will be until the end of October unless we get an unusual cool snap. A wise person suggested I take some time to allow muscle recovery, so today is a day off from lifting. I am going to hit it hard this week as it's the week before a rest week and if I need to lighten up the bench presses and increase reps that is the plan.

Squat, bench, deadlift

Took two days off from lifting ready to hit it hard today. My squat form has improved a lot, really making it down low and only getting difficult towards the end with heavy weight on the bar, 85 lbs. I threw a couple of sets of forward squats with just the bar at the beginning and end the sets with the goal to prepare for power cleans. So, squatting was all good. Then, bench press. This is the second session in a row I haven't been able to press 75 lbs for a full set, when I was able to previously. I don't get it, all my other weights have increased and this is getting worse. I even had to find a spot to avoid getting stuck under the bar. He was amazingly cute, but my disappointment at backsliding on this lift made me unable to even enjoy that. Also, it is distracting to have a good-looking guy whose name is unknown with his hands so close to my breasts. Being unable to lift a weight I previously could really sucked. There's no crying in lifting!
So, I couldn't get off that bench fast enough and set up for deadlifts, where I lifted a personal best of 115 lbs, but form was compromised so I'm going lighter next dead session and really watching form, maybe doing 115 pulls instead.

After lifting and the usual fight with the extra sports bra, I headed upstairs to the Interval Treadmill class. Damn, that was hard, and towards the end my sweat went cold- not good. Instead of pushing it I took it easy for the last two songs and after showering hit Arby's for food. Normally, fast food is unappealing, but after two hours of working hard my body needed something to stabilize it, and I gradually felt better.

Finally got around to watching the VMAs

To put it in Tim Gunn's words, "I was underwhelmed." Lady Gaga looked and was generally great all around, she is someone I would love to spend time with as long as there was no annoying entourage, and Taylor Swift was talented and gorgeous. So much for the good parts. Chelsea Handler, whom I usually find amusing, was just boorish and lame. Her jokes made me uncomfortable in a not funny way, just coming off as rude. Lindsay Lohan looked awful in her little skit at the beginning, with that mullet/ bangs hair that is going around and some odd mushroom-shaped dress. The performances all seemed to take a back seat to the annoying stage lighting, and the Mickey Mouse head DJ- WTF? So that is what the kids call cool (or is it 'sick') nowadays. That was the dorkiest thing I ever saw, and an embarrassment to rock, techno, rap, ANY type of music. It's good that Lady Gaga and Eminem took the big awards, but baffling that a relatively interesting year for pop music should culminate in such a disappointing award show. MTV, you blew it this time.

Holy moly I have quads!

Sitting down after breakfast reading a book about lifting, as one does, I stretched out my leg and to my surprise and delight saw a quad muscle. Years ago it was completely normal to see those thickish rounded curves going down the front and side of my legs, but time and lots of cardio had changed them into skinny blade-like muscles that were insignificant. Apparently lifting really creates changes and it only took two months (note some sarcasm there). I didn't realize how gratifying it would be to see lean tissue built up- it is a rush, no wonder people get excited and take pictures when a change for the better is noticed. Today is a designated rest day, the kitten is taking this very seriously, curled up on the sheepskin and snoring cutely. I'll be here, working, blogging and admiring my Wonder Woman legs :-)

Up all night= poofy tummy

So there is something to this whole 'taking care of yourself' thing. Yesterday was highly unusual, I wasn't hungry! Ok, there was a breakfast steak involved that probably had a lot to do with it, but for the rest of the day I just didn't feel like eating. That could wait until later. However, I was visiting my sister and sick niece and about 7:30 the little one took a turn for the worse. Her breathing was so heavy, fast and labored. It was the way one breathes after a particularly hard sprint interval- but did not get better. My sister and I agreed she needed to go to the hospital. Ahh the hospital. It is a good one and they saw us right away, but even with attentive care we were there until 12:30am. The important thing is we left with a little girl who was breathing clearly.

The unimportant thing was that I did not eat or drink anything after the big breakfast for the rest of the day, which ironically resulted in a huge bloated belly. Sometimes I think winning the body game is impossible- Hello! No food and my belly is BIGGER!?!? Anyway, after a couple of bottles of water and 4 oz of ham- half pita I felt more normal and after a while went to bed.

Now, today I am scheduled to train, squat, bench, dead. I hope this won't be a wasted workout. Edited to addGood workout, Squatted 80 lbs on my last set and held form. Deadlifted 100 lbs for a full set. After that my right shoulder blade was feeling a little wonky so I pulled back on bench press weight to 65 lbs, can't have everything and I read (or skimmed) Rippetoe's in-depth analysis on deadlifts. According to him, one's lats esp near the shoulderblades are used hardcore on the deadlift so it makes sense I would feel it there after working the deads harder then usual. Also, today they were real deads, not pulls.

Remembering Sept. 11

I had recently returned to school after being laid off and was getting ready for World Religions class at SPJC. The news was on and going nuts showing the plane flying into one of the Twin Towers. Shaken and not sure what to think, I went to class. Everyone was talking about it, we were confused at first. In the time it took to get to school, the second plane had hit. Our professor came in and explained what had happened as well as he could according to the available information (the media was totally freaked out and confused too). After class I went home to the apartment I shared with my boyfriend and was glued to the TV and phone, trying to find out if my loved ones were okay. Two days before this my sister and I had taken a flight from New York that changed in Washington.

Warning: Women's stuff discussed

God this has been a long week. I am still waiting for my freaking period that should have started on Weds. At least the food cravings have settled down and my waist measurement is back to normal; should have tried on the 'fit' shorts but didn't think of it in time and when I get back from the gym I'll be swollen from training so that isn't a good time either. Got a bill from T-mobile showing that somehow last months was unpaid, so took care of that and now making a chart of monthly bills and posting them, the amounts and the due dates on each new month of the calendar. That planner/ calendar is the best thing ever.

Workout for today is squat, press, row. I'm aiming for all three sets of squats at 75lbs, to be increased next session if my form is spot on. Overhead presses will stay at the 45 Oly barbell unless it feels too easy, and I may go for 80 lbs on the rows. Then is the interval treadmill class, can't wait for that, I need something different from Spinning all the time.

Edited to add: Success with the squats at 75, stayed at 45 for overhead presses and 75 on the barbell rows.

That nutball preacher from Florida (of course!) was on the Today Show. Why does my state have to claim so many right-wing crazies? And people are supporting him too- who cares about the violence he incites, right. Religion seems to breed intolerance more then anything else. He did bring out the journalist in Meredith Veira I was happy (and surprised) to see; she went right into asking the tough questions and didn't stop until they ran out of time. I have new respect for her now.

Lots of makeup goodies

The gift with purchase Estee Lauder is running at Macys that I referenced in an earlier blog is happening now, and my Macy's Estee lady was kind enough to call and remind me. I use the Advanced Night Repair Serum, and swear it makes my neck look softer and smoother but it is pricy stuff. The smallish size bottle is just under $50. That price does, however, easily clear the $28 minimum one needs to spend in order to receive the gift with purchase and having been out of the serum for months now and too cheap to replenish; this was a good time to do so. Also, I almost forgot, this time the serum came with two good sized samples along with it and since lotion is the over 40 y/o's friend, why say no?

The warm color palette was softer and more neutral and thus was the one I picked, which made my gift include a neutral day lipstick, soft shimmery lipgloss, small eyeshadow palette, travel mirror which stands up and is a good size, larger then expected. Then, to my surprise my counter lady also threw in the gift which was intended for customers spending $55 or over, which included a mascara and primer, black pencil eyeliner, and- makeup remover! Yes, so I can again put off buying the stuff. Everything happens for a reason.

I happily packed a small after shower at the gym makeup bag with eyebrow powder, the neutral lipstick and gloss, pore spackle (see below) and lotion. Ahhh. Speaking of the gym, today was a no-lifting day, so I went to 6am Spin and really got into it. On the way there I had half of a chocolate chip cookie and drank a Gatorade during class to keep an even glucose level as I was basically working out fasted and I have low blood pressure. Well, it didn't work. After class in my truck preparing to depart the gym parking lot I became totally light-headed and faint, and sweat beaded off me. It was bizarre and shouldn't have happened. Of course I didn't have my phone, so I just sat there for a little while with the air conditioner blowing on me and decided to take a quieter route home.