What Happened to the Work Out Blog?

I lost my workout notebook last week. I'm heartbroken. It had 3 months of workouts, notes, and statistics (which maybe I could live without) but I'm missing being able to look up my "max" weight for lifting workouts, I can't remember everything. I'm missing my notes to self about which workouts were hard,  made me sore-what I did or didn't do afterward that contributed, etc. So to catch up THIS WEEK:

Sunday- Beer Fairies. 1 ten mile loop of single track did NOT make up for the morning playing Fairy Duster.

Monday-
Abs- 1 min ea seated twist, toe touch w/10lb plate,  leg extensions and scissors
3 sets, 5 sec rest between exercises, 30 seconds between sets, do as many reps as you can in 1min for each:
Sumo Deadlift with High Pull 45lb (bar)
Wall Ball 10lb -  deep squat and throw the ball up to an X on the wall, catch, repeat
Box Jumps on 12 inch box
Push Press 45lb (bar)
Burpees

Tuesday-
Abs again, I don't remember exactly what we did because I have blocked it. It was hard.
Push Press x 50       1 x 10 @ 45lb (bar)  4 x 10 @ 55lb
Front Plate Raise      1 x 10 @ 25lb
Partner Curls (pass the bar between partners) 1st turn is 10 reps, then 9, then 8....down to 1. I had a spot w/45lb bar
Static 21's  3 x 21 @10lb Dumb bells held straight out in mid bicep curl position- one arm 7 reps up, switch arms, 7 reps down, switch arms, both arms do full curl   OUCH
Rope Tricep Push Down 1 x 15 @20lb

Wednesday- plans shot and ended up with a short 2.5 mile walk/jog with the dog

Thursday- 15 mile bike ride, some road and a lot of "flat" whoop dee doo singletrack FUN

Friday- a whole lotta yard work and cleaning up. Made homemade tomato soup today, it's getting chilly and I love soup in cold weather.

Saturday- well that's today. As soon as the temp is over 50, heading out to my favorite gym

OT from Visitor's Center up to East Summit, up-over and around the West base trail and back to the VC. It was a good 1 hour and 45 minutes or so. I could have done another lap. Or at least a couple more miles. Maybe next weekend I'll hit it hard.

Who came dressed as a pumpkin muffin?

Thanksgiving. What a boring holiday. As if I need an excuse to overeat? We did have a pretty good time this year. J and I went for a short bike ride, then we joined the small one for some monopoly and bocce ball. In the evening we went for a late turkey dinner at a friend's house. And ate too much. As usual.

There was all the usual fare, ham, turkey, dressing, potatoes both mashed and sweet. Pioneer Woman's Wild Rice and Corn Casserole was a big hit, at least with my family, they gobbled it. Then there was homemade pecan pie and raspberry pie. We had no pumpkin pie yesterday- but we did have pumpkin muffins. I made them from the pumpkins we managed to save from the cannibal pumpkin in the picture. He wanted to eat them all.

You never know what to expect when you invite people over for Halloween.
This is Pumpkin Pie Spice.  Looks more like Scary Spice to me but....


Poor Pumpkin Pie Spice Girl. She had a terrible time fighting the men off all night long. She's sooo hawt...impossible to resist. I think her real name is Shawnda.

Bat Chips and Squash "Brains"  Yummy Mummy!

Boogers on a Stick and Ghosties, sweet.

Luckily, the night did not end this way for any of  our ghoulish friends. Except for the pumpkin.

Beer Fairies: Figment of the Imagination?

This past weekend was the end of the Arkansas Mountain Bike Championship Series with the Atilla the Hun race at Cedar Glades Park in Hot Springs. I have never participated in, nor  have I even been a spectator at this race but I've heard good things about it.  We love Cedar Glades. It's one of the first trails I ever rode and it has grown and changed by leaps and bounds since then. The trails are well kept and always in great shape. There is plenty of technical difficulty and some sweet rolls here. It also has a disc golf course, BMX track, climbing wall and a remote control airfield. Nothing like getting buzzed by small (very small) aircraft while riding a bike.

There was a rumor that the famed Arkansas Beer Fairies would show up at the race. I think they have become the stuff of legends.


The fairies situated themselves at the top of a hill that back in the day was known as "Heart Attack". The trail has been changed somewhat and the hill isn't quite what it used to be but it's still a climb. Imagine the surprise those poor souls got as they start pushing and working up that hill and they hear cowbells and fairy voices screaming "huhp huhp, get on up here, we've got your beer!"

It seems the fairies weren't the only ones in wings that day. I think the wings made him ride faster. Wings and Fairy Beer. The stuff champeens are made of.



Post Race- the Fairies took a lap on the course, alas, they once again became the elusive creatures they're meant to be and no one could capture a picture. How do they ride in those tutus?

Anti Bullying Week Across the Nation

This week is Anti Bullying week at schools all over the country. As an assignment from the Student Council Mentor (and awesome composition teacher) The small one and her friends put together this video. No one, especially not their parents, expected what came of it.
The kids were interviewed by the local news tonight on KTHV. They were phenomenal. Congratulations to my small one Miss Mc, Alex, Lauren, Hannah and Lizzie!

Pioneer Woman Part Deux

Now I can "finish" my Ree Drummond book signing story.  When I heard she was coming to Little Rock to sign her cookbook, I knew I had to go. If not for myself, for my S-I-L Julia. She is a fantasmic photographer and was enjoying Ree's photography and tips. She introduced me to Ree's site for the recipes because she knows how much I love to cook. I have often gone to The Pioneer Woman for recipes. Of all the recipes  from her site that I've attempted , not a single one has been a failure. Most have been wildly successful in fact. Which brings us to the story of .... duhn duhn duhhhhhhnnn

The Great Bourbon Sweet Potato Disaster of '07

Thanksgiving 2007. My S-I-L and her 2 precious small ones were driving about 7 hours to spend the holiday with us. I was frantically searching for recipes because...I couldn't possibly dream of having a "typical" turkey dinner with comp'ny comin'. I found what looked like an easy sweet potato recipe that did not involve marshmallows. Nothing against that gooey goodness, I was just trying to be ummm I dunno, sophisticated? The recipe called for GOOD bourbon. I don't know what that means. I bought cheap stuff. I figured, the recipe calls for only a little bit and it bakes out right? Smarty pants that I am, I put dinner together the night before so it would be less hassle the next morning. Oh no. Huge mistake. That cheap bourbon clung to those potatoes like a silk suit in summertime. Even after baking them, those sweet potatoes smelled up the entire room like a drunk tank at 4 a.m. on a Sunday morning. They had to go in the trash. Outside.  I have not lived that one down yet! Probably never will.

So I had to get Ree to sign that cookbook because even 2 years later...I am still trying to make up for those potatoes.

Needless to say, 2008 meant the dinner was traditional in every sense. Well except that I had to cook the turkey on the grill because my oven is too small (I have a 70's era kitchen people!).  I greased that bird up good with some rub from Williams Sonoma, no scrimping on the good stuff, unlike the bourbon. It was delish.

Thanksgiving 2009 plans? The Chinese Buffet. Fa Ra Ra Ra Ra Folks, it's all good!!

P.S. Everyone knows I'm not a good photographer. The pictures were taken by my S-I-L, THANKS J!

A Mother's Guilt

I'm a mom. I feel guilty. A lot. For what I give my daughter, for what I don't, for the way I talk to her and for not being able to ease my frustration.
This past weekend I grounded her from going to anyone else's house because it seems she is always gone on the weekends. Teenagers, right?  She told me her friends were working on a video for school. It is  anti bullying week and the girls wanted to make something special.When I asked if it was an assignment she said "no" so I didn't let her go.  I heard her on the phone on and off all weekend. I heard her say "I'm sorry but I really can't come over" and things like "that song is perfect". 

THIS VIDEO is what she and her beautiful friends were making. I feel guilty that she had to be involved over the phone. I feel, like a bully.

When I stop crying, I will apologize for not listening.

5:00 a.m. is Early You Know

I started back at Arkansas Sports Performance Center this morning.  The workouts are intense, usually shorter than your average cardio or sculpting class because there is little time wasted on resting. Oh my poor body! Short, tough, circuit training style. I really like em. Every day is something different and I never worry I'm going to get bored with a "routine" because there isn't one.

This morning was my first day back after almost 10 weeks because of the Syllamo. And my finger. The first thing is warm up. An absolute necessity! Once the workout begins, you need to be able to hit it hard.

Todays workout:

 4 sets x 8 repeats of 3 in1's:  Hang Clean, Front Squat, Push-Press

All in one fluid motion, or at least an attempt at fluidity. Mine weren't pretty every single time but I tried.  I alternated between 55lbs and 65lbs.  I found that my finger still doesn't like to grip heavy things.

30 seconds each Plate Push and Walking Lunges for 10 minutes

For this we push a weight plate (I used 25lbs) across astroturf. Hands on plate, butt up and run. Not as easy as it sounds. Then after 30 seconds we lifted the plate overhead and did walking lunges with Chris yelling to get deep and hold proper form! 30 seconds and back to pushing, repeat for 10 minutes. The trick was, you could not put the plate down. If you choose to rest you have to hold on to it. It wore me out but it wasn't impossible. I wonder if a 35lb plate would have made it impossible?