Random Outlaw

Lent Challenge Check-In

I'm still going on Summer's Lent Challenge, and tomorrow marks week 3 of my commitment to 3 full-body T-Tapp workouts per week and avoiding sodas all the time.

So far I am pleased to report that I have remained on track with all of my goals.  My new fruit tea addiction has made it easy to avoid sodas.  I don't really even miss them.  I do have cravings once and a while, but they're mainly due to habits, such as yesterday I really wanted a coke to go with my Whopper at Burger King when we were at the zoo.  I didn't get it (I drank water instead), but I definitely had to think about it and convince myself that it was not worth it.  I've added green tea to my rotation, mainly drinking it in the mornings (becuase of the caffeine).  Green tea has so many health benefits, and it tastes great, so yay for me.

I've also been doing my 3 workouts per week, but I'm modifying it as needed, because honestly with the good weather right now, I am doing a LOT of exercise.  If we're not at the park, we're at the zoo, or cleaning up the yard, or taking walks.  I fear I'm in danger of overtraining.  Last Friday I did Ladybug standing workout in the morning, then when I got home later in the afternoon, I spent an hour chopping down dead shrubs in the front yard.  My poor arms were so overtaxed by the end of the day!   I took few days off and just started again today but I only did the 15-minute Basic Workout Plus.  I really concentrated on my form and my isometric contractions, and I can tell it made a difference.  I'll pick back up with my regular schedule tomorrow with Ladybug floor.

I forgot to mention last week that I got new T-Tapp shoes, and WOW what an amazing difference.  My old shoes (New Balance cross-trainers from the year 2000) simply were not supporting my feet properly and I had a hard time maintaining KLT in them.  The shoes I got are Sketchers Energy 2 series and they are fantastic! They grip the carpet really well, so it's easy to maintain KLT, press the ball joint, and lift the big toe.  However, on the flip side, it is hard to do some of the moves (like anything where you have to "wiggle on down" with your back leg).  I fell flat on my ass last week trying to do Ladybug Runner's Stretch. 

I must say that I am loving only doing T-Tapp 3 times a week.  When I was doing it before I was killing myself trying to work out 5-6 days a week and I really got burned out.  Now I only worry about T-Tapp on "T-Tapp days" and I'm enjoying it much better.  I think that it's also encouraging me to really think about my form and make it count when I do work out, instead of half doing the routine and promising myself to do better the next day.

I am very excited to annouce that I've signed up for my first T-Tapp workshop! It's on April 28 and I am SOOOO excited.  So many people have said that the workshops revolutionize the way they Tapp, and they see an inch loss improvement, too.  I'm trying to get my mom to come with me so she can get some form tips, too.

I measure on Wednesdays, I'll be back with an inch loss update tomorrow.

Inappropriately Excited

Folks, I am getting a little overexcited about my landscaping plans.  Our yard currently looks like utter crap.  3 years of neglect and one year of drought finished off our shrubs and the fern border that's near the front door. The fern border was around an 8x6 bed of rocks.  Yes.  Rocks.  I don't know, either.   The trees are wildly overgrown due to lack of pruning, and the beds are littered with old leaves and trash.

BUT! In only 2 weeks the yard will be transformed.  New shrubs, clean beds, no more ugly rock feature or dead ferns.  There will be a decorative stone border.  Freshly turned beds.  Seedlings almost ready to transplant to grow into beautiful flowers.  I am beside myself with anticipation.

The Official Start of this project is March 22, but I think I'm going to start clearing rocks and dead plants (as much as I'm able to with the Moosh) ahead of time.  I'm really worried that the project will take more than my two allotted days, so I want to make sure we stick to a timetable. 

I'm growing all the flowers from seed, because it's so much cheaper than buying live plants.  Even though I had to buy 2 seed growing kits to accomodate the number of plants I'm sprouting, it was still way cheaper.  Think $50 vs. $250.  It will take longer to get flowers, but I'm not too concerned about that.

I did have to buy the shrubs, and I bought them online because I wanted flowering shrubs rather than evergreen non-flowering shrubs.  R wanted red flowers so I ended up buying red hydrangea.  I am crossing my fingers that the things will bloom in my soil.  I don't have time to get the pH tested, and those plants favor acidic soil.   

I had a minor meltdown this week when I realized (AFTER I ordered all my flowers) that a bed I thought had full sun gets only part sun.  Plans were hastily changed to include a full sun bed in the back yard, and get some new shade annuals for the front yard.

Squee!!!  Pictures are forthcoming!!

Lent Challenge Update Week 2

Total inches lost: 10.75

Sodas consumed: 0

Glasses of fruit tea consumed: too many to count

Energy level: through the roof!!

Hours spent playing with son without getting winded or even breaking a sweat: many

:)