A NEW CHAPTER

Okay, I know that it's been a while since I've last written but I promise you that I've been doing my best to keep up with my workouts. It's just there are some day's I find myself thinking why do I want to drag myself to the gym after working a 12 hour day? Why do I want to give up the comfort of my nice warm bed on a cold and freezing winter morning? Which is something that we've had way to much of here in Maine. Yes, people....I am starting to lack some motivation, darn these winter months!

So how does one beat the winter blues and get herself motivated to work out again, why she joins the Y's Biggest Mover, that's how! The Biggest Mover is a weight loss competition done at my local YMCA, that's based off the popular TV show the Biggest Loser. Yours truly did this same program last year and it really helped my a lot. So, I thought why not try it again.

I meet with my teammates (there's5 of us to a team) and my trainer 2 times a week, where we really do get our sweat on! Our trainer is almost like the nice version of Jillian on the TV show, which is great for me because I need someone who's going to kick my butt! Our first workout, my trainer put us through a workout that pushed us and I hadn't realized until that very moment how strong I'd become over the past year until it came time for me to do the push-ups and I noticed that all the other girls on my team were on their knees while I was doing them on my toes!

After that first workout I was sore, but it felt good until it came time for our second workout and our trainer put us through an even more intense workout. Let's just say that at the end of this workout, I was so happy that I was going on vacation for a week! But on a plus side, I did manage to run for 8 minutes straight on the treadmill at a 4.5mph. I was so happy with myself!

I missed the 3rd workout with my teammates due to the fact that I was on vacation but no worries, they were so nice to include some of what they did into our 4th workout! Our 4th workout is so far the best, we started off with a little warm up and then did the following in one-minute intervals 3 times around: ball squats with overhead press, boxing, standing-v with ball twist, burpies, suicides, scissor jumping jacks, jumping jack/toe touches, squats with side kick, fast body squats and my favorite (but I'm not 100% sure what it's called), you take a sand bag throw it up onto a box that's about half the size of me and then throw it back down to the ground. You keep doing this while rotating sides. Talk about a full body workout! From there it was off to the treadmills for a nice 5 minute jog and then some nice stretching. So after a workout like that, how does one relax? Well, we just simply go and get a massage!

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that on top of our 2 day's a week training, our trainer has given extra homework. We have to workout an extra 3 times a week and she mostly wants us to do cardio, which is the one thing that I am good at!

Who knows, I may be ready for this run in October! Oh and speaking of runs....some of my friends are trying to get me to run a half-marathon with them in April. I don't know, one does not think they're ready. One wonders if they'll ever really be ready!

Here's Day's 83-100!!!!

Day 83: It's Christmas eve and the gym is only open for a short time today. So before the feasting is set to begin, off i flew to the Bangor Y for a workout!

today's workout consisted of my two favorite things, the bike and the elliptical. i spent a total of 45 minutes in the gym today. hopefully that will be enough to keep an extra pounds away : - )

Day 84:  it's Christmas day!!!! merry Christmas everyone!

today didn't really consist of any real workouts. but i did do a LOT of walking today. i spent the morning half of my day helping out with one of our local food banks serving Christmas dinner to those who others would have done without. it made me feel really good about myself in the end and I've now decided that this is something that i want to do next year and maybe every year from this point forward during the holiday season!

Day 85: once again, no workout today due to the fact that i worked all day long. unless we want to count the fact that i know have to turn on and off all of the cardio equipment in the fitness center and downstairs, since we are no longer staffing either spots. i can't remember the number of times that i had to get up and down to turn things on, which may i add is tons of fun while you're wearing heels!

Day 86: AHHHHH!!!!! so let's just say that there was no workout today unless you consider the fact driving in a BLIZZARD a workout! we got slammed today in the state of Maine. We received so much snow that our Governor declared an entire state of emergency. let me just say it was so much fun, oh and to all of those crazy people who did come into the Y for workouts....WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!!!!! You should have stayed home, why risk your life for a workout. i did however get a small workout in, do to the fact that when i got home the snow was nicely piled in front of my doorstep and front door. I'm so glad that I remember to pack my shovel this morning!

Day 87: yeah, i finally got a workout in today! i managed to get a good, solid workout in. i did the elliptical for about of 45 minutes and then i moved on to the rowing machine for another 10 minutes. by the time i got done, my body was just a little on the sore side. must mean i did a really good job!

Day 88:  wow, what a day! my morning started off with me shoveling a nice little path to the oil tank so when i need a refill they will be able to get to it. thinking that i wouldn't be doing anything else, i got ready to go to work and thought that i would be able to have a nice little lunch before my shift started. but that did not happen. as i pulled into the y, i received a phone call from one of my co-workers saying that they needed me in the group power class that was taking place due to the fact that they were shooting a commercial for the Bangor Y. That's right, yours truly will be one of many staring in commercial. but oh should i mention the fact that this commercial wasn't being filmed by one of our local tv stations, oh no...it was being filmed by time warner.....the cable company!!!! which means this commercial is going to be aired on NATIONAL TV PROGRAMS!!!!! oh i do hope that i looked my best!

Day 89: today was my first day off of my five day mini vacation thanks in part to my new work schedule. i did make it to the gym today where i did a nice mini workout! i started off on the elliptical where i started to work up a real sweat and then i was off to the rowing machine, where i was starting to feel all that shoveling that i've been doing lately! oh and speaking of shoveling, when i got home from the gym today...guess what i did!!!! i shoveled another path, only this time it was to the gas tank. don't want to run out of gas....which means that i would be unable to cook! i am almost done with my shoveling though, thinking that by mid next week i will be!

Can someone please remind me again why i'm choosing to live in the state Maine where the winter seems to go on for ever and ever?????

Day 90: Well with today being the last day before the new year, what better way to end it than going to the gym fora nice quick little workout! So off I went before they closed and went for a nice Little stroll on the elliptical. oh how i do love this machine.

Day 91: a new year, a new beginning! one did not work out today and no it wasn't cuz one went out last night (for the record i did not have anything to drink, i am a good girl). instead, today i did the smart thing and spent the day with my parents.

Day 92: no real workouts today either. i had the day off from work where i traveled to portland to see a hockey game. and boy, wasn't it a good one. i may not of actually been working out, but my abs sure got a workout....especially when i was sitting on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next.

Day 93: today i traveled back home and instead of going to the gym like a good girl should of... i opted to go home instead. but i did get a mini workout in, especially if you consider doing housework a workout!!!

Day 94: today i finally made it back into the gym in what seems like forever, well maybe cuz it has been. since i didn't have a whole lot of time tonight i had decided what it was that i really wanted to do....so biking it was tonight! within a half an hour i managed to bike a little over 6 miles and i must say that i was proud of myself!

Day 95:  SLACKER WEDNESDAY!!!! i think that this is what i'm going to call my wednesdays from now on cuz by the time i get myself going in the mornings, the last thing that i want to do is workout before i have to get ready for work. and trying to get ready for work while you're at the gym is no picnic!

Day 96:  well, with this being the new year, it was time for me to start on one of my new year resolutions and that my friends would be cleaning my house (and actually make it look like someone does live there!). So after spending 4 hours in the morning cleaning and hauling things around, i thought it was best for me to get out for a little bit and since i did need to do some food shopping what better time. so off i went and made a nice little side stop at the y for a quick little workout. almost an hour later i finally emerge from the fitness center, where i now look like a raggedy old mess (can't think of a better way to look when your going shopping!).  i do have to say that i had a great workout and it was one of the best ones that i've put myself through in a very long time. let's see if this is something that i can keep up.

Day 97: does showing up to the gym and swiping your card count as a workout? how about chatting to those who are working the front desk? if no is your answer then fine...be that way! one did get another workout in today but not one that you would receive in a fitness center. nope i was still cleaning my place. i never really realized until now just how much stuff i have. and three trash bags later you would think that i would be somewhere close to being done...but i haven't even made it out of the two front rooms yet! this is going to be the longest cleaning session in history i do believe.

Day 98: went to the y today for group groove. it's been over three weeks since i've taken this class and was the first day of everything new! what a fun class....the music was great (loved the mix of new and old songs...best part was the peak song, BEAT IT by Michael himself!), and you sure got a workout! the mirrors in the room were even fogging up so you can just imagine how much i was sweating up a storm in there. i did however made a new note to self while i was in class.....no more t-shirts, need to start wearing tanks! my shirts are so big on me now that its making it hard for me to move and it'll also be less material to make me all sweaty!

Day 99 and 100: no workouts on these two days. i was back to my normal schedule on sunday which means i don't get any chance to hit the gym and by the time i got out of work today....the place was soooooooooooooooo packed with people, there was no way i'd be able to move in the fitness center. i'm going to try again tomorrow...wish me luck!