bonjour

i should feel really tired today, but i don't. last night was wednesday date night and by wednesday date night i mean my bf and i just hang out, either at my place or his place, depending on who is lazier and does not want to travel. he has a lot going on this week so i went to his apartment, but i was feeling pretty lazy myself and decided to drive instead of taking the transit.

since i drove i had to move my car off the main street (aka go home) before 7am or risk a ticket and towing. this morning i left at 6:50 and saw the tow truck waiting to attack innocent sleepies so i know they mean business. i've had my car towed before - not a fun time.

the point is, i should be tired and i am not. when i got home i did two 20-minute pilates videos. the first:

windsor pilates ab sculpting!


and the second, windsor pilates bun and thigh scultping!


both videos are rad, because they are only 20 minutes long but quite effective. i tried my best not to stop with ab and bum exhaustion during the sets but it was hard. and 20 minutes is just long enough to feel some major burn, but not too long where it becomes boring.

my only problem with these pilates videos is my horrible lack of flexibility. i cannot lay on my back and put my legs straight up in the air at a 90 degree angle. it is not happening. likewise, i can hardly sit up straight with my legs straight in front of me. when sitting in that position, i definitely can't reach toward my toes! maybe 1-5 cms! the women on the screen are reaching their toes, chest resting on their thighs. ha! not in my lifetime. i know this is due to my very poor hamstring flexibility. maybe if i keep doing the videos i will improve. i should do a yoga video for this.

in other news, i am wearing the pants today. they are actually incredibly comfortable when i am sitting down. when i stand up they are a little tight in the waist. i say waist but they are so low cut i mean hips, and since they are around my hipbones and not waist, it's just a bit annoying not painful. they are already stretching and feeling better. and they fit so well everywhere else. AND the jean material feels like a dream. like buttery jean velvet. with stretch. i can't stop touching them.

today i am working in the burbs. i am going shopping afterwards. i have a giftcard to la senza from christmas and am in desperate need of undergarments. i might do some biking in the condo gym (because i can read while i do it) but i'll probably just crash instead.

tight pants

my pants are tight today. uh oh. not good! but i'm not sure if it's because i've gain(ed)(ing) weight or because of other reasons. the other reasons could be:

a) post weekend - always a bit more bloaty due to excess alcohol and salt.

b) freshly washed jeans - and dried the whole way in the dryer.

c) last night i tried on a sweater and it looked tight and puny. but i haven't worn it in a while and i washed it and maybe dried it for too long and it could have shrunk.

excuses, excuses! i will see how i feel tomorrow. AND i bought a pair of silver jeans online after shannon mentioned the big sale in her blog, and they are the size of jean that i strive to wear and that generally fit me when i'm in my maintenance range. so they should be here today or tomorrow or this week (better be...) sometime so trying them on will be a very good non-scale indication.

in other news, last week i killed the exercise. i met my four x cardio goals and two x pilates video goals. AND i did one more cardio workout than planned. yarrrrrr. this week is going to be equally as magical for me.

for some reason i am experiencing some bum pain today. i've done a little more online research and i think the following describes it best:


Pseudo-Sciatica - Gluteus minimus

The smallest and deepest of the gluteal muscles, lying beneath the gluteal medius, its fibres run from the pelvis to the hip. Like the overlying gluteus medius it has a split role in life; the anterior fibres medially rotate the thigh whilst the posterior fibres assist lateral rotation, all fibres contribute to abduction of the thigh. It also helps to stabilise the pelvis during ambulation.

Symptoms

Hip pain that may cause a limp during walking. Lying on the affected side may be too painful and result in disturbed sleep. Pain on rising from sitting and standing up straight. The pain in the hip area can be severe and constant with no let up either lying down or walking. As this muscle lies close to the Piriformis, the pain patterns are similar. Like the Piriformis it can cause SI joint dysfunction. But whereas the Piriformis pain pattern can extend down to the knee, the minimus pattern includes the calf and the thigh. Low back pain in the sacral and sacroiliac regions is most likely be due to problems in the gluteus medius. Pain referred from trigger points in the gluteus medius is less likely to involve the thigh; gluteus maximus trigger points restricts flexion at the hip whilst Piriformis trigger points restricts medial rotation.

Activation

Trigger points may be activated by too much, too soon. For example, walking too far or too fast, especially over rough ground; overuse in running and sports such as tennis. Even painful blisters can alter the gait pattern sufficiently, or simply running awkwardly due to another injury.

Holding the foot constantly over the accelerator pedal during a long car drive results in hip muscle imobilization, resulting in activation of trigger points in this muscle. Likewise, prolonged standing will have the same effect. SI joint dysfunction will perpetuate the trigger points.

Sitting on a wallet placed in a back pocket can cause impingement on this muscle and therefore produce referred pain in a sciatic-like distribution pattern.

i'm sticking to not running until the spring although it's taking a lot of determination... hopefully this goes away and i can go back to my normal activities.

workout songs

great workout songs can really make all of the difference. or a great magazine. last night i added two new songs to my playlist:

1) all the single ladies by beyonce, and

2) live your life by ti and rihanna

amazing! nothing like getting your groove on to make working out fun. it will be heaven when no doubt releases a new album. HEAVEN.

last night i did about 36 minutes on the elliptical (burning 300 calories), and then moved to the mat for some stretching, sit-ups, and more bootylicious exercises. my bee-hind is definitely feeling the burn.

i wanted to write a little bit about heart rate monitors. mine has really opened my eyes to three important things:

1) the number of calories i'm actually burning. i find the estimates on the treadmill and the elliptical to be grossly overestimating how many calories i'm burning. i used to walk for an hour and think i burned 600 calories. HA! of course, the number of calories you burn doing any exercise varies based on your own weight, height, and age. i burn a lot less calories than a 200-pound man would doing the exact same exercise.

2) the level of physical exertion i should be aiming for and maintaining. after you input your stats into the monitor, it gives you a range to aim for and maintain during cardio exercise. for example, my resting heart rate is in the upper 50s. this is pretty low. my "cardio" zone is between 125 and 165 beats per minute. when i used to run, my heart rate would stay around 140 beats per minute, unless i was running up hill. on the elliptical, it's about 150 because i'm pushing myself hard. sometimes it goes up to 165, and i know it's time to back off a little.

3) what exercises are good for cardio and not as good for cardio. i'm not saying bad, because any exercise is good. but i now know that even walking on an incline doesn't pump me for maximum burn. and that tony gazelle machine (my parents have)... worthless! unless there is some way to turn up the resistance that i don't know about (there probably is).

my dinner last night was ridiculously low in points. i roasted an entire acorn squash, scooped out the insides (1 point for the whole thing) and covered it in 1/2 cup cottage cheese (1.5 points). since i had leftover points i enjoyed a 50 oz. glass of wine. 50! and now i'm dead. i meant 5 oz. i measured it on my kitchen scale and 5 oz. is a lot. i was underestimating my wine consumption before. not anymore haha.

this morning i thought about swimming but that didn't seem very appealing, so i did two pilates videos instead. the first was a beginner 25-minute "band exercises" workout, and the second was the 20-minute circle workout. my hips are very flexible but my hamstrings are NOT and both these videos stretched them out a bit.

time flies

i just finished my pilates 50-minute fat burning workout. i always am sweating at the end of it, but i'm not sure just how good of a workout it is. i guess any workout is better than no workout, right?

it's a windsor pilates dvd and on it is the 50-minute cardio style workout, a 20-minute "circle" workout, and a 10-minute boost workout, if you are in a rush or something. i've tried them all. the 20-minute is alright... definitely needs to be paired with some cardio. the 10-minute one is a total joke. but the 50-minute one seems to be worthwhile. the whole package including the circle and a suggested meal and exercise plan only cost $9.95. that's cheep cheap like a little bird.

so i think my bum pain is finally gone. i'm able to jump on that leg without feeling any pain which is amazing to me. i'm going to wait until september before trying to do any running, and i think that i might do the couch to 5K plan again instead of running my usual distance. i'm sure i could just do it, but i don't want to injure my body and easing into it is always the best plan. the bad news is that i think i'm feeling leftover shin splinty pain in my right shin. what gives body?!?! what gives! does anyone know how to combat this annoying pain?

in other news, lately i can't get enough cottage cheese. there is this brand called "dairyland" which i've found in walmart and shoppers drug mart and the fat-free version is suprisingly thick. i've stirred cottage cheese into my oatmeal, and i also like it plain with added chopped fruits. i've heard of making pancakes with cottage cheese but i've yet to try it. maybe tomorrow.

last i went to see "mama mia" the movie. it was really cute, but i didn't think that meryll streep was a good enough singer to sing ABBA songs. ABBA songs are really REALLY good and i cringed a few times, especially during "the winner takes it all" which was painfully long. tonight i am going to the movies again... this time to see "the sisterhood of the travelling pants." i've read all the books so it should be good. and since gilmore girls is over, this is as close as a fix as i can get!

summer concerto

it was a good idea to ride my bike to my boyfriend's apartment yesterday, because this morning i just zipped home (it's mostly downhill on the way home) and i didn't have to wait for any sort of slow delayed transit. it was a good date last night because he made me dinner, but also not that great since we bought a futon (just a few doors down... but still) and then had to carry the massive frame and mattress up 2 flights of super steep narrow stairs. and then put it together... and of course the instructions were ridiculous. there were two lengths of bolts... long and short - and it didn't tell you where to use each one. eventually i figured it out and now he has a really nice futon.

even yesterday i was feeling the effects of getting too much sun the day before. i wasn't really burned since i used sunscreen, but felt really weak and weary. oh woe is me. yesterday at the end of my swim i was beginning to feel a little faint, like if i got out of the pool at that exact moment and tried to walk over to my towel, i might not make it. i was fine though.

in a few moments i am going to do the pilates 50-minute fat burning video. it starts with some basic stretching, then some cardio dance-like moves, then more stretching, and then the last ten minutes or so is actual pilates mat floor exercises. it's a pretty good workout i think.

and then tonight i am going to see blue rodeo at the outside amphitheatre. my friend's boss gave her free tickets... not complaining! finally it's a beautiful summer day! (not raining)

mondayayayayaya

this will have to be a shorty post, because i am heading off to another job interview - this one i am on the "shortlist" for. cross your fingers for me.

the weekend was pretty good. fake prom was fun, although we didn't get enough sleep and saturday (at the wedding) dragged and dragged. and we were with my parents (and rest of family) so i didn't want to drink that much.

my hair looks amazing! i will post a photo tomorrow. not today because i want a few more people (who maybe read the blog... who knows?) to see it before i reveal it to the world. it is taking some getting used to for sure but already the time i'm saving (styling and vacuuming the bathroom) is outrageous.

that's all party people. yesterday i did the fat-burning 50 minute pilates video, and today i think i will go for a swim in the afternoon. i am meeting some girlfriends for dinner and want to get in some activity so i can eat more. :)

hair cut idea

i need a change big time. i am thinking about cutting my long hair into a pixie cut. why not? i could do it. why am i holding onto this long hair? because it took so long to grow it out? it's sort of a good reason but also a ridiculous one because i could use it forever and waste my pixie cut years away. i think now is the time. well, next week. i have to do some research about where to get it done. i am just so sick of blow drying and straightening my super long hair. and it's wavy so i have to put all of this work into it, otherwise it is a big, poufy, half-wavy crazy mess of hair. also, it's hard when you have bangs to come up with a new style, unless it's shorter. the more i think about it the more i like it.

it's thursday already? when you are living the life of leisure like me all the days blend into each other. today i am going to go swimming or do a pilates video, and go shopping. i really shouldn't be shopping but i need to "get out" if you know what i mean. there are only so many things a girl can do around the house before going crazy. i am downloading season one of heroes (i've seen some of season two on tv) but it's taking forever. i also have to finish my latest book club book. it's "a complicated kindness" by miriam toews.

it's a really good read but hard to read all at once because the plot is very loose. it's more like a bunch of ideas centering around a central thought.

moving in and santa cruz

not much is going on. last night i met up with a girlfriend for drinks. it was fun because we had so much catching up to do. this morning i decided not to go swimming because my hair is beginning to feel like straw. i need a haircut really badly anyway but i'm waiting because i might decide to change my hair style and want to grow my bangs out more just to have that option. instead i did a 50-minute fat burning windsor pilates video and the additional 10-minute sculpting video, which was not very intense.

i am making a point of NOT wearing my heart rate monitor until i can run again. i'm positive i am not working out as hard as before, and that's fine, i just don't want to see the actual number and become unmotivated. once i tried my HRM on my mom's tony gazelle and it was pathetic. hardly a workout at all.

tonight my boyfriend is moving into his new pad - moving some stuff anyway, so i am going over to help. very exciting!

and even more exciting... more vacation stuff. this time - santa cruz! santa cruz is the perfect family vacation spot because of the oceanfront amusement park boardwalk - the oldest one in california. it's also where the movie "lost boys" was filmed. we also took surfing lessons which was so much fun. it was hard to stand up but i caught a few waves. here i am on the wharf pier - there were sea lions at the bottom barking and swimming:


here i am with a giant bird (pelican?):


here is a sea lion below:

ahoy matey

i am in a much better mood today. last night i went back to the sewing studio and got caught up. i finished putting in the zipper, and sewed the tops of the shoulders and the sides of the dress together. now i just have to add the sleeves and do the trim (i think). then i cleaned my entire apartment. bathroom, kitchen, dishes, den, living room, vacuuming, laundry, bedroom, on and on and on. i like going into the weekend feeling ready to relax. weekends are for relaxing not cleaning.

i was going to go running again today, because i can't go for my usual saturday long run tomorrow because of the everlasting wedding, but then i remembered yesterday's run and how it wasn't fun (rhyme) and my right shin has been bothering me (maybe a splint) so i thought a couple of days off would be the best medicine. there is no point exercising if you don't enjoy it.

yesterday at the library i was getting the new book club book (valley of the dolls), and i saw a yoga/pilates dvd, so i got that too.


it is power yoga plus by denise austin. i did it this morning and it was alright, except denise austin is kind of annoying. but who isn't at 7am, really. she kept saying weird things like, "show me that happy face and smile"... don't you think that's weird? 1) who is smiling? 2) the lady in the TV can't see me! at least i hope not.

it was 20 minutes of yoga and 20 of pilates. my problem with this type of exercise is that i am not that flexible. i never have been. i can remember being in dance class as a young girl and practicing the splits every day for years before i could actually do them. i can't touch my toes... maybe my legs are long. denise austin's legs looked kind of stubby to me. anyway. it was alright. the pilates was more vigorous than the yoga. some of the balancing yoga moves were difficult but not impossible. denise austin's voice is kind of baby-talky though, and i kept thinking of rude things and grossing myself out. if you know what i mean. i hope you don't.

oh, and happy 4th of july to my american friends. i am going to celebrate by eating a twinkie. just kidding! relax.