pixiglittrpants’s BodyBlog

So this morning I was reading Runner’s World when I came across an article that said something along the lines of learn to hear the whispers of your body before it screams in pain later (yes, I botched that up).  I thought it was pretty enlightening and decided that there IS a creak in my right ankle/knee (when I was trying really hard to convince myself I was making it up) and to cancel my run this morning.  

Still did my previously planned bi/tri/shoulders routine, though.  But the thing with my gym is that it’s very family-oriented (as in, everyone knows each other, especially since there’s a lot of regulars that go 5 in the morn), so there’s a lot of socializing going on.  I know a lot of people frown upon that, but I love it - it’s nice when most people really DO know your name, are genuinely interested in your upcoming races or personal challenges, and miss you when you’re on vacation (and vice versa).  It’s kinda like this site, but in real life, and it’s always motivating when people compliment on how defined you’re getting, or notice when you pick up the 17.5 lb. weights when just a month ago you were still using 12’s.  However, today I guess I was being a bit too chatty cathy, since I have no clue what I did in regard to bi/tri/shoulders.  I know I did at least 2 exercises for each body part, but I also know I had a fair share of surgery logistics, recounts of just-taken vacations, and tips on how to get better pumps.  

Also did some core work and general calisthenics for my lower body/ankle (physical therapy exercises).  Hopefully I can run tomorrow!

Happy Halloween everyone!  D’s swamped with work so it looks like it’s cancelled for me this year… oh well, I usually lush out when I go downtown anyway, so this is a good thing.

A bad habit that I’m definitely trying to break is that I tend to get way too emotional sometimes and, as a result, tend to "fall off the wagon" with my diet since I emotionally eat.  It definitely seems like a trend with females (though I know males who do the same, too), but it’s almost become ingrained in me that if something doesn’t go right, I instantly turn to food to numb out, de-stress, etc.  I remember pretty much starting this in 4th grade (parents divorcing) and can honestly say that, for the past two years, have been actively trying "to work on it," so it’s a lot of un-learning.

This all stems from work, since the past couple of days have been emotionally draining since I f’ed up huge-wise.  The worst part is that my supervisor and the head boss weren’t even angry, but totally calm about it and just strategized on how to prevent it next time.  This should have been a relief, but since I have so much darn Catholic remnants left in me, guilt totally overwhelms me that it feeds into this negative spiral of sadness, paranoia, anger, frustration, etc… all very toxic emotions that, typically, I numb out with on sweets, savories, and all gluttonous junk foods.  

BUT… this time, I didn’t.  Though I still feel anxious or worry (and okay, self-loathe), I just try to calm down and tell myself eating crap won’t ameloriate the situation, and yes, I’ll definitely feel worse afterward.  And SC is right - that knowing the theory and putting it into practice are two totally different things (so true, thank you) - I am doing my best to put out positive thoughts and feeding myself with positive (healthy) foods for a positive energy/outlook.

I feel very fortunate to have such supportive coworkers and supervisors (ha, my favorite being the following note: put things in perspective.   you’ve got a job you love, a cool boss, a pretty ok boyfriend, cool friends like me, hehehe, long awesome hair and a tight bod.  What more do you want, huh??? leave something for the rest of us!), and fortunate network on this site, too.  So honestly - thank you all for being hilarious, caring, and motivating. /end gush

Chest/back/thighs today, and I tried to bike but my knees were all creaky again (doesn’t seem to with running, though).  Not sure whether to just do arms and abs tomorrow or bi/tri and run… I guess I’ll just try to run and if it gets creaky I’ll stop (ha, when before I would’ve just ran and thought I’m imagining things… see!  This ol’ mangy dog CAN learn new tricks!)

Bummer… sticking with the blue-collar theme I had going last year (white wifebeater tank top, short denim skirt, pink toolbelt, construction boots, and a pink hard hat that read "home wrecker"), I was going to be this for Halloween, mostly because I liked the plumber’s crack aspect and I could flash my tramp stamp in the back.  However, they just told me they didn’t have my size (when I ordered awhile back and it was still in stock at that point?!), so now I’m left with no costume.  Curses!

Well, I’m actually not TOO bummed about it since it’s been cold the past couple of years downtown, plus D’s busy since everyone’s back at work… but still!  It would have been funny to at least try on.

I managed to run today, though I was still molasses-esque.  I DID feel a lot better this time (not as queasy, ankle didn’t feel funny, had a shot of endorphins for a couple of minutes), so I’m factoring that all in and putting things in perspective.  Overall, I did 3.2 miles in 30 minutes with my friend, walking at the beginning, end, and in the middle when we had a friendly debate over the educational system.  Afterwards, I did some butt-kick things on the machine (40 lbs. per butt cheek, 4 sets of 12), worked on my abductor and adductor muscles (100 lbs, 4 sets of 12), and some eccentric exercises for my calves/achilles.  Stretched, too, which I’m starting to enjoy since I never did it much as a youngun but have definitely learned that I should start.

Still trying to eat clean(er), though I did have fish and chips last night at the pub… it was trivia night (yes, I’m a trivia geek and watch Jeopardy frequently), and I needed it for my brain cells!  Or so I tell myself… the good thing is that I did feel sick today from it, so that will probably deter me for a good long while to eat anything that greasy.

Here’s the bonus question that got everyone free drinks if you answered right (which the bar owner was not happy about since most teams got it): what’s the next number in the following sequence - 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12… ?

Does your gym play obnoxiously loud techno music in the weight room like the one I frequent on weekends?  I swear, I panic for a split second thinking I forgot my glow sticks or something.  However, I managed to slip on my iPod and go into pixi-land, and continued to do a great upper body workout (3 sets of 8 hitting all body parts - all free weights, and I even used heavier weights on the hammer curls and front raises!).  

My run was less than glorious, even though my mantra was "build my base, build my base" in hopes of not re-injuring myself.  Not only was I slower than usual (I blame your cadence, NB, just so much pressure to not be a weenie! j/k), but I felt so out of shape.  I managed to run 2 miles in 18 minutes, and then walked/ran the last mile, totalling 27 and change.  I’m trying to not get too down about it since I felt sorry for myself for too long this year (heh, some VTD encouragement there since, yes, I get too hard on myself), and looking forward to Monday’s run in hopes to do better.

Anyway, D comes back from his trip today so that’s exciting… he takes the most beautiful pictures and I can’t wait to see where he ventured to!  Okay, like the scrawny kid in dodgeball - I’m out!  Have a great weekend

I managed to run yesterday!  Granted, it was only for 15 minutes and I was guzzling air like a greedy SUV guzzles gas, but it was awesome!  The doc’s assistant talking to me through the run - who definitely triggered the pixi-dar since he had the top three aesthetics that pique my interest (tall, bald, and athletic build) - was a nice little bonus, as well! 

But anyway, the doc wants me to try running every other day for 3-4 miles before I see him again next week for a follow-up, and if things are okay he’s going to set up a schedule where I ease into longer miles.  This will definitely be helpful since I’m such a mileage-wh0re - when my injury first started healing I immediately started marathon training instead of rebuilding my base, so I’m definitely not going to make that mistake again.

 Luckily, I have weight training and bodybuilding to balance that out since I’m also trying to build the bb base, as well.  There are SO many terms and concepts about it that I’m somewhat confused with what to do - bulking, cutting, negatives, macronutrients… eh?  But, there’s tons of articles and people on here to help gather these ideas from, so I’m confident I’ll learn more and more over time.  Incorporating free weights and not being afraid of trying heavier weights has definitely stepped things up lately, so I’m ‘hungry’ to learn more.  I know it might sound shallow, but I’m determined to look rockin’ by New Years’, and uber-rockin’ by my dirty-thirty birthday in February, goshdarnit! 

So yeah - I get to run tomorrow… so stoked!

Okay, maybe I’m dull to begin with, but I’m definitely pretty over this whole week off thing.  Luckily the fires are contained in the double digits (well, 10%), and expected to be fully contained by this Sunday.  It was really sad, I heard that a couple died in their residence, I’m supposing from not evacuating.  Hopefully those cases are few and far between.

Did a chest/back/lower back routine today, plus 20 minutes on the stationary bike.  I didn’t do any free weights since that side was pretty crowded, but I did try the free motion machines (with cords) and wow - new favorites!  I also did some on a stability ball and it was pretty challenging/fun.   Later on today I’m going to the running doc to test drive my ankle/leg on a run… I’m excited about that!

My coworker emailed me a few more pics from this past weekend’s event:

This was taken in the hotel while I was showering… in my clothes… hey, why do I have crazy eyes?  I’m actually not that pleased with my arms since they look all huge and shapeless, but oh well - motivation to get them lean and mean!

This was at the start, and I was totally tricked!  I thought we were doing a huggy train since I could’ve sworn my friend behind me was hugging me… now it just looks like I’m molesting my coworker. 

One of the pretty views of the course.  If you squint your eyes and slightly cross them like in those 3D pics, you can vaguely make out the line where my quad is.

Okay, going to find something to do other than twiddle my thumbs.  Hope everyone has a great workout today!

… no work for the week, sexy-piece-of-manmeat is on a motorcycle adventure since he has no work for the week, can’t go to the beach and trying to stay off the roads, and I’ve already gone to the gym… nothing much else to do but read, watch the news, troll BB.com, trying to not eat out of boredom, rinse, repeat.  But, at least I have a roof over my head and it seems that a lot of my friends and coworkers haven’t been personally affected, so that’s definitely something to be thankful for.  Hopefully my coworker will get motivated enough to go to the gym so I can do a double workout… if I can’t go to work, might as well be her amateur personal trainer!

I changed the pics’ size from below, too… yes, I have Fievel ears that I’ve learned to embrace.

Plus I had a great workout:

Tricep Pull-Down/Tricep Extensions/Tricep Dips - 5 sets of 10 (either 12 lb. dumbbells or 30-40 lbs. together)

Hammer Curls/Single Bicep Curls/Preacher Curls (same as above though I did manage to use 15 lb. dumbbells for the single curls)

Shoulder Press/ Lateral Raises/ Front Raises/ Upright Row - same as above

Abs with my friend - 5 sets of 20 with stability ball, and captain’s chair (is that what it’s called?)

Stationary bike - 30 minutes, pretty light because my legs are still sore from Sunday

And, I know it’s only noon and all, but I’m being good on my diet.  I don’t think Halloween will happen this year due to the fires, but if it does, I need to be prepared for my costume since it shows a whole lotta skin!

No work for the week due to the fires… couple that with the fact that they don’t need anymore volunteers at the evac. center and this makes for an antsy pixi.  However, I refuse to let this deter my workout and goals, and going to the gym now to get my fix.  But before I go, my friend emailed some pics back from the half-marathon!  I’ll post more when I get my coworker’s pics, but here’s a couple:

At the start of the event (group pic but edited to protect the innocent).

Pic of my girls’ legs and my hott-racing-stripe ™… I swear I’m tanner than that, it was the flash, I tell ya!  And, it has actually evolved to a hotter-v-in-the-back ™ for my achilles, and I’m suppose to try to run on it at tomorrow’s visit.

Alrighty, time to do bi/tri/shoulders and a bit of cardio today, as well as limit my calories to 1200-1400. 

yikes - come back from a fun trip to san fran to 8 wildfires going on in san diego!  at least there’s no work today (poor air quality)… i’ll write more about the trip and hope everyone is safe if the fires are affecting you (since there’s some here, in los angeles, and i think the bay area, too?)!

my running doc yesterday said i’m probably putting my seat up too high which is causing my achilles to burn (definitely something ilovecarbs warned me about early on!), so today i put it down a couple notches and sure enough - they were fine.  i’m lame… i always think i’m taller than i am (5′3, and i’m pretty sure i’m rounding up).  so i was able to do cardio at a moderate level (kind of still hurts with the right ankle, so i set it at level 8-10 with hills).  it was great to sweat for an hour!!

my arms are pretty achy today, so i might try that routine out next week at the gym with heavier weights (eh, probably not the booty wiggle, though, unless i can charge the patrons a nominal fee j/k).  today was chest and back, 5 sets of 10 with weights varying from 60-70 pounds on the seated bench press, upright row, and lat pulldown, and 25-35 for the butterflies.  also did ab workout with my friend today, who incidentally told me he had ultrasound treatment done for his elbow a few years ago and it helped him radically in about 3 weeks… so that kind of made me feel better about my current process.  no leg workout today or tomorrow, since i figured i’d rest my legs for the 13.1 walk on sunday.

i’m excited for my trip - it will be good to see my girls again!!  plus i’m staying at a pretty chi-chi hotel (not totally gucci’ed out, but nothing too ghetto, either) so i’ll be interested to see what their gym looks like (i know, gym geek).  but if i don’t get a chance to write again - have a fun weekend, everyone! xo