Elbow powers, activate!

My elbow is no longer shooting painful spikes into my arm! It still hurts, but I think it'll be all right by mid-week. Til then, no bowling, no lifting.
I did play some catch today in the yard. Does anyone else get as excited as a laundry basket full of puppies at the thought of playing catch?

Today I did not work out. It's post-Pesach weekend...I can't say I ate very well, either. But I did get the chance to do something nice for someone. I learned a bit. Despite the discomfort I was in, it was a great day. I hope you had a great day, too.

I reek of Tiger Balm

This week, I have covered my arm in Tiger Balm because of a muscle injury.
Did I injure myself lifting more weights? Doing yoga? Saving kittens from a tree? Something awesome?

No. I did not.

Fucking. Bowling.

I twisted my elbow bowling.

Now I'm getting shooting pains in my elbow. I can't support myself, so no weight lifting, no yoga, no frisbee or catch...my arm being immobile effectively nixed all of my favorite sports activities this week, and I have rarely been more frustrated with my body.

The upshot is that, while I haven't worked out much, my diet has sped along this week. Pesach forced me to cut out cookies, white bread, soda, etc, so I've eaten my weight in veggies. My cupcake cravings haven't subsided, but they're MUCH more manageable then they were at the beginning of the week, when I was headachy and grouchy.

I was surprised that I had such a visceral reaction to my lack of sweet stuff. I didn't think I was that sugar dependent. I went through a withdrawal period of a few days though, snapping and feeling ill, and being miserable. I'm torn between allowing myself a post Pesach celebratory cookie...and continuing to stay off the stuff. Because I'm still not sure I can stop at just one. I am still the girl who once ate an entire box of Thin Mints.

Right here and now, Jacky!

I had a fitnissy week (yes, I know it's not a word, just go with it), and it's inspired me to updates. Also, the only things that aren't sore today are my hands, so I might as well put them to work.

Wednesday, I went bowling...which I didn't think was giving me much of a workout, until I woke up with forearm pain - I DID do it for three hours straight...and I wasn't scarfing down bad bowling alley pizza.
Here's a question. If someone bowling next to you orders pizza, and leaves half of it on the table when the leave the lanes...is it totally gross to want to take it and eat it? I was watching. They didn't spit in it or anything. That pizza was perfectly good!! I'm sure W wouldn't have appreciated my pizza pilfering though, so I left it.

Thursday, yesterday, I went to the gym. W has been on me about getting back into weight lifting (I PICK THINGS UP AND PUT THEM DOWN!), and so I did a 5xx5 shoulder press at 55lbs, a 1x5 deadlift at 95, and worked on my squat form. I used the rowing machine to warm up. The rowing machine - is that hell on a track, or what? I was on that damned thing for ten minutes, and I thought I was going to die. Although I did stare at my legs for ten minutes, and that was nice, in a completely conceited way. Parts of me are quite tubby, but I've got great legs.
Anyway, after the gym, we picked up T and headed to Soldier's Delight for a 2.5 hike. If you've never hiked SD before, you should. The Serpentine trail is great, full of hills, and scenic. I like to imagine that I'm walking across America. I start in the tree heavy south east, near the mountains. I move downward, onto the prairie, toward the plains, and end up back again in Northern California.

Full disclosure here. What I really do is pretend I'm Jack Sawyer, walking across America, going to retrieve the Talisman. I'll give you a minute to google that.

I was so exhausted by my "day of health", that I skipped yoga, but I DID go this morning. Lots of stretching sore muscles. An ex-boyfriend told me once that if you continue to use your muscles while they're hurting, they'll hurt less. I did not find this to be entirely inaccurate, actually. I was pleasantly surprised. I thought that was a load of crap, but apparently not.

I'm down seven lbs since the last time I posted, which was a few months ago. That's not SO bad, but I could have done better. On the weeks when I lose, I stand on the scale and think "I CANNOT keep up with this level of activity". I do, though. I'm outside a lot more, and I'm starting to feel the benefits. I can run up a hill without panting. I can play frisbee for an hour without wishing for death. When my muscles hurt, I think "Man, I didn't know I had muscles there! I wonder what they're called! That's neat!" (and then I take an aspirin).

I could get used to this. I mean, I'd better get used to this, but...it's starting to not be so hard.

K


PS - If you have five minutes, please read this blog post. Even if you don't read mine, read this one. It's important.

Verily, I have a new reader

It works, D!

Also, I should update.

I'm down five lbs since the new year!! And, although my cravings for chicken breast (of all things, don't as me why) have not subsided, my overall meatlessness is still working for me.

I'm starting the couch25k (again) tomorrow, and am about to do Day 2 of the 100 push up challenge. Oh, the things I get talked into.


Happy New Year!

Vegewhatnow?

I'm never going to be the scotch drinking, leather jacket wearing, Shelley quoting, clove smoking badass that I always thought I'd become.

I see that now.

It's sad, this parting of ways between who I've become, and who I always thought I'd kick my own ass into being.

Instead, I'm a teetotaling, yoga doing, non-smoking vegetarian.

Who can quote Shelley on a good day.

And I'm fine with that, I guess. I mean, I'm pretty thrilled with myself and all...

But, still.

What the fuck?

Okay, That's a lie.

When I said that there was nothing new to report, and then made a lame joke about yoga. that was a lie.
It's not that there haven't been things to report. It's just that the reports aren't great. Ever since September, I've been stuck in this weepy and lazy rut. One day, I'll write a post that doesn't mention my grandmother. But I cannot express how much her passing knocked me down. Knocked all my family down. And we've never been the "bond together against sadness" type.

What I should remember is that there have been good things. The 5k was good for my family. I saw a naked man in the park (it wasn't good, but it's a great story...and his running shoes were enviable). Friends had babies. Not that I've seen them, I'm a bit of a recluse, and shy around babies, but still - new life exists. One of my dearest friends got married. Another had dinner with me last week, and sounded more sure of himself then I've seen in a while. I'm preparing my first Thanksgiving meal this year, and I'm writing again, too.

There are GOOD things here. Solid things, foundational things.

Patanjali said "“Peace can be reached through meditation on the knowledge which dreams give. Peace can also be reached through concentration upon that which is dearest to the heart.”

Now, I'm not much for meditation, I'm too fidgety. But the last two months have given me a clear picture of what is dearest to my heart. I think that in these next two months, I'll work on concentrating. Even if it doesn't work out, it'll be more productive than Portal.

Namaste, hon

Nothing much to report. Race went fine, foot is still on the mend. taken up yoga.
I actually freaking love it, but...trendy hobbies are expensive. I can't wait til curling comes into vogue and then prices at the studio drop.

Although I've always wanted to try curling too, so I guess I'll be bummed about that when it happens.

I keep hearing my grandmother's voice in my head during my classes, poking fun at me. It's hard to hear, because I still miss her, but in my head, she's still funny.

So that's a plus.