BodyRock

BodyRock.tv posts at home workouts, usually videos, every week day that only ever use three pieces of equipment that you might not have at home. (The night I wrote this they added a fourth thing! An ugi ball) A sandbag, equalizers and an interval timer. The interval timer is easy, I just downloaded a free app to my phone.  The equalizers are two hurdle looking things that are used to perform tricep dips, decline pushups and other activities. In many cases you can make do with a couch, table, set of chairs or a bed. If I stick with this though, I may save up and purchase these. I’m nowhere near needing them yet, since I’m just a beginner. The same can be said for the sandbag, it simply allows you to increase the weight used for your exercises, which I don’t really need to do yet. I don’t think the ugi ball is needed at all, at least not yet. You could definitely make do with household items for the things they’ve been using the ugi for.

Here’s some shots of the equipment in action, taken from the bodyrock site:

The ugi ball is too new for pictures of it in use.



The site hosts monthly challenges with fit tests every two weeks. Maybe I’ll post the difference in my fit test results later on. The workouts are difficult but not impossible and don’t take very long usually 12 minutes, if they aren’t pyramid rep challenges. Those can take 45 minutes or so. The work outs are always challenging and make me break a sweat.

BodyRock has just started breaking down their workouts into Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. I love that they have started this because it makes it way more accessible to those of us who don’t look like Lisa Marie! She is always really positive and I enjoy her clips, even if she does work out in what amounts to underwear. Someday maybe I will be confident enough to work out in my underwear on the internet (but I doubt it).

Now to get a handle on my eating!

February update

Blog silence... whoops. I had been doing pretty well with the month of blogging too.

Well, here’s an update.

I love my new job, I really do. I don’t even really mind having to get up at the butt crack of dawn to be at work by 7:30. And that’s saying something. I am NOT a morning person.

I finished up a really cute onesie pattern, but haven’t woven in all the ends yet. Partially because Scott was sick and then because I got what he had (still have what he had), and partially because I’m lazy. I did get to show it off at the Atlanta Knitting Guild Meeting though. I need to finish weaving in the ends and give it to my waxer, preferably this weekend since that baby is due anyday!

Big news of the month:
If you know me offline, you know that I have had acrylic overlays for YEARS. About two weeks ago the nail tech told me I really needed to give my nails a rest. I’m surprised that I haven’t been told that sooner, honestly.
I’m going to try to keep the natural nails as long as I can. It’ll be better money wise(if I stop buying nail polish!) and for my nails.  It might not be that great for my skin, since I am really horrible about scratching, picking or worrying at anything that isn’t smooth on my skin, and will, when stressed, dig gouges into my arms and face with out even noticing. The acrylic overlay blunts my nail edges, so there was no way to do that much damage. These newly uncovered nails are razor sharp and it shows...
I’ve been asking for advice on the LSGnails spin off board, and reading up on their threads.

I also joined the cult of Pinterest. You can find my boards here. Pinterest is a rabbit hole of things you want to do, but end up spending too much time on pinterest to actually do!  

I joined the employee gym at the new job. I do Zumba weekly. I had to skip last week’s and this week’s due to strep. I have also been trying very hard to do the BodyRock workouts. I will post more on those tomorrow so I have more than one blog post this month. Ha.

I didn’t do anything for Mardi Gras but Badger apparently partied pretty hard. The vet patched him up this morning with 4 stitches in a gash near his lip. No one is sure how he managed to do it though. I haven’t been out to ride him, but the daughter of the barn owner is quite infatuated with him and has been working with him and the barn owner would like to get him to a point where I could lease him. I hope we can get to that point. That way he’s getting exercise and riding and I don’t have to be afraid he’ll buck me off immediately if I don’t ride often(which I don’t)

2012: The Year of More

Ride More
I moved Badger on Christmas eve to a place in DeKalb county.  Now that he’s closer and at a place where there are people on premises almost continuously, I need to ride him at least once a week if not more often.

Knit More, Spin More
I’d like to make more knitted items this year. Maybe a sweater, definitely some fingerless gloves. I’d like to actually spin some stuff, although I’m not sure when that will happen.

Run More
I’d like to run more this year.  I think that I will start running my trip to the satellite facility I visit daily. It’s a tad over a mile away from my regular facility, so round trip that’s 2 miles every day. That’s pretty good, or at least I think so.  I probably won’t run on rainy days, but that might change.

More Friends
I’d like to be better friends with some folks who are passing friends now, but I want that to change.  I’d also like to make some new friends, maybe go to a knitting group if I can find one that I like. Outside of that I’m not sure how people make new friends...

Save More
I want to try to save more money this year.  I am really enjoying my job and despite being relatively new there, I really could see myself having a career there.  So buying a house in the area and settling down seems like a possibility, so beefing up the savings would be a prudent move.

Progress Report!

Well I’ve made it to hump day at the new job. All down hill from here right?

I like it quite a bit. I enjoy working with my new boss and my new coworkers seem fairly nice. They don’t talk to me much, but I don’t go out of my way to talk to them either. I’m actually painfully shy in most situations. I’m going to be responsible for quite a bit, but I’m totally capable of it.  I do need to get a note book or something, just a little one for ideas I have about my responsibilities as I get them, so they aren’t lost in the jumble of the work day.

I’m not liking the early morning hours, but I find that if I go to sleep early enough it isn’t too difficult to go to bed. It helps that there’s no TV to watch in the bedrooms at my parent’s house. I’m also using semi public transportation to get to work, which is new for me, but working out pretty well.

I haven’t been knitting or running, I’m pretty beat when I get home. Eventually I think I’ll be in the swing of things and not be quite so tired by the time I get home.

New job jitters.

Running report:
Ran (un-taped) half a mile out of 3.11. I started out walking with my dad and then picked up the pace once he headed home with the Zombie Dog.  
Knees felt bad after 2.5 miles. Iced them and took an anti-inflammatory. They feel okay now, but not good. I should have taped my patellas, but the skin on the sides of my knees is so angry and itchy, I didn’t want to chance it.

Considering buying myself a Garmin watch for X-mas, since they are on sale at amazon. Heart rate training and all that jazz.

I start the new job tomorrow. I’m a little scared, not excited, just nervous and uneasy. Everyone assures me it will be great, but after the whole Texas debacle I’m gun shy about new jobs, I guess. I already packed my lunch, and I will pick out my clothes before I go to bed.

Mom and I tried to figure out where I’m supposed to park for the new job’s alternative transportation thing, but we were stumped by it. We have some idea of where I’m supposed to be, but aren’t sure.

I got my nails done at a new salon near my parents’ place today. The lady seemed nice, but I forgot to ask what her name was.  Whoops. I was a little annoyed that they didn’t have space to put tip on the credit card receipt, but mom had come with me and had a $5 I could give her. She did a good job, so I’ll probably go back. Especially since they are open until 8pm on weekdays.

Knee talk

Running report:
So yesterday at physical therapy, Jimbo showed me how to tape my knees. I tried on a knee brace but good lord! It seemed huge and bulky and the idea of running in it was ridiculous.
http://patellakneebrace.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Patella-cause-pain-146x300.gif
I may eventually go for knee braces, but that sucker costs $140, and I’d need two of them!

I taped my own knees today and I don’t think I’m very good at it. I ran 2.93 in 47 minutes and my knees didn’t outright hurt during the running, although I did get some discomfort near the end.  Not so much I could not run.  I’m icing my knees now and took my anti-inflammatory as a precaution.

So tomorrow is my last day at work. I’m sad and a little nervous. But I really do think the new job will be good. I’m not going to the holiday party, mostly because I don’t want to have a fuss and it’s at a dining hall on campus. No thanks. If there was a way I could sneak out with out anybody knowing I was leaving, I would.

Serendipity

It is freezing cold. Freezing! My idea of freezing is probably not what more northerly folks would think of as freezing. I mean it isn’t even below freezing. I do need to bust out my warmer clothing.

So after angsting over what to do with Badger, I took a look at Craigslist and came across a listing that claims to be within 25 minutes of Emory’s campus. I emailed back and forth with the owner and it looks promising. It’s nothing fancy, in fact it’s kind of run down looking in the pictures... but then so is where Badger is now and we love it. Neither of us care about looks. Is there good grass, is the owner responsible and pleasant, is there shade/shelter in the rare case he wants it? There’s a lighted arena, and a pasture, which is really all we need.
My only real concern is that it is much smaller than any barn he’s lived at. The first barn really didn’t have any other boarders, the occasional horses staying a few weeks to recuperate from a stint at the University Vet School, but the majority of the horses were the owner’s horses and they all lived indoors. Badger was alone in a fairly large paddock, and eventually he started destroying it in boredom, or an attempt to get to the horses in the adjoining pasture that belonged to the neighbors.
At Eaglerise he has a bunch of company and I worry he will miss that. But I do think as long as he isn’t a singleton, he’ll be okay.