Rest Day

Today is my mom's birthday. She is 79 years old today. She lives in a retirement home in Durham, about 30 min. from here, but I had meetings this afternoon so I had to call her to wish her a happy instead of visiting. It's a good thing I did! Poor Mom. She told me the entire retirement home is under quarantine because the Norwalk (or whatever they are calling it now) virus is running rampant through the building. Tons of the residents are sick. All the public areas are closed off, including the dining room, so meals are being delivered to their rooms. They aren't supposed to leave their rooms unless absolutely necessary, and the Health Dept. doesn't even want them to leave the building! Mom is just fine, but going absolutely stir-crazy. She's still driving, and misses getting out and about. She thinks the quarantine may be lifted by Friday. So we are postponing her birthday meal until we've moved into our new house.

I really believe in the hard-hard-easy workout schedule, but I didn't feel that today's 30 min. walk with the dog did me much good. TOO easy. Maybe it'll at least keep me from being so stiff tomorrow! Still, it was nice being out in the fresh (if chilly) air and felt good to be moving. Since I'm practically like those people in Wall-E who never move but float through life on their chaise lounges, I think it would be wise to incorporate at least a 30 min. walk into every day, regardless of what else I'm doing. I haven't been this out of shape for years!

I can really feel the effects of yesterday's Christi workout, especially in my arms, LOL, courtesy of Christi's crazy-fun choreography. My deltoids and triceps are pleasantly sore, and my quads are wondering what hit them.

I feel really encouraged, though! This morning at 6 DS and I swung by the Teeter on the way to school to get some lunch provisions. Sigh. I still haven't done my weekly shopping yet. I noticed, while whizzing quickly up and down the aisles, that my legs already feel stronger and more flexible!

Ooooooh, how I love working out. Next week will be even better once I start working with the weights. I usually drop a whole size in about a week when I start strength training.

After my walk with Huck, it was late and we were all hungry and ready for dinner, so we decided to go out. I just threw on a sweater over my exercise bra (the Iron Maiden!!) and squeezed myself into my only pair of wearable jeans. It was so funny, because I usually don't wear street clothes over my exercise bra, but when I looked down while we were at the restaurat, I totally had a uniboob! It's not as evident under my baggy t-shirts that I wear for working out, but in this closer fitting sweater, yep, the unmistakable uniboob. And no one said anything-- they let me go out in public looking like some kind of deformed hoochie-mama!

Guys. They don't get it.

We've got a long way to go on all fronts, but making definite progress! I feel like a wimp starting off so slowly, but I really learned my lesson about overdoing it a few years ago.

Do y'all remember The Firm exercise videos? (Yikes, talk about Stepford!) They were all the rage. I was trying out my very first Firm workout. I was so excited. I even dutifully watched the little infomericial at the beginning of the video about using proper form. The man tried to tell me, oh yes, he told me several times, but I didn't listen.

I attacked that workout with gusto, really went for the Gold! It was only the next day when I could not move a single part of my body without experiencing excruciating pain-- I mean, it HURT just to walk, and getting up from a chair made me want to cry!-- that I remembered the man said, in his cheesy "I am the Narrator" voice, "Never attempt to do all the exercises your first time." No kidding! I had nearly terminal DOMS for over a week. It put me off strength training for years, in fact.

Slow and steady is the way! I'll be doing roundhouse kicks and 360s on my step no sweat soon enough. I can't decide if I want to do step or kickbox tomorrow-- but I'm eager to see if it's feeling any easier cardio-wise.