Week Three

Hello!

I am now in the middle of week three of the Insanity Workout! I feel great and I'm starting to feel a difference in my strength. Now, Because I see myself in the mirror everyday it is hard to really notice the transformation. I took some pictures and was amazed at the difference from week one!

We have to do a fit test the very first day of insanity and every two weeks after that. Well, at the beginning of this week I did my second fit test and improved on all the exercises! My boss, the one who told me about Insanity, is now in month two with the Max exorcises. I'm quite scared about it just by the way she talks about it. But, I do know that at the end of it I will be in the best shape of my life!

here are week three pics! Sorry my track shorts look funky.

week one

Hello there!

Today I just finished day 3 of week one of the Insanity workout. Holy crap! That is exactly what it is, insane! Like I've said before, I've done workout videos before and it always makes me feel like crap when all the people in the video are smiling and acting like its nothing while I'm infront of my tv dying! Not this one! people in the video, while in better shape than me, still need breaks and even the host sometimes sounds like he's out of breath. That really helps me push through and fight to complete the workout. Next thing, I sweat. Now, I have always sweat very easily. My mom told me i was a very sweaty baby. I sweat in any workout that I do, but I have not sweat like this since my track days. It's pretty intense.

I have some before pictures. I have no problem being in a swimsuit infront of my close friends and of course people I will never see again. However, this is not a swimsuit, it's a sports bra and some shorts. It's tough putting it out there and I am a bit self-conscious, but it helps keep me honest in my progress.

HElP!

Hello folks! Long time no post!

Just to give you an update on how I am and what has been going on in my life since December. Not much has changed. I still work at Medical Towers at UAB on the Look AHEAD research study and I now work on another study called the Diabetes and Periodontal Therapy Trial (we call it DPTT). Things are going well and I enjoy my work for the most part. I am still teaching voice at Birmingham School of Music and as rewarding it is to see my students grow; I have come to the decision to try something new.

This is where the transformation starts. With me. I have grown dull of my life here in

Birmingham and looking for a change. I have discussed moving, changing jobs, and even auditioning for reality TV. Yes, at the end of this month I will be traveling to Nashville with Ashley A now R to audition for NBC’s The Voice. I don’t have my hopes up to high; I just thought it would be fun and different. That is what I need right now, Different. I want to save my money and move somewhere. I’ve had strong thoughts about moving to Boston because I have family up there. For a different extreme I’ve thought about Florida. I figure I have some time to think about it. And again, I have to save my money.

Change in job and change in location brings me to my next thing and is really the point for

writing this blog today, the change in my physical appearance. Now, I know that in previous blog posts I’ve talked about trying to start a journey with running but it has never worked out for me. I’ve gotten to a 5k but never made it past that. Part of the reason, I feel, is because I haven’t had a partner to push me to make sure I do my running. I think that the only reason I completed the 5k is because my best friend, Kierstyn, did it with me. And the second time my dad was going to run with me but schedules wouldn’t always allow for us to run together. Plus, on top of all that, I hate long-distance running. I was a sprinter in high school. So, on with the point! My boss was telling me that she and her husband are doing this home workout called Insanity. It is similar to P90X, which I’ve always wanted to try, however, with p90x you have to extra equipment and I’m not really down with that. I’ve done the Billy Blanks video workouts and I like it but you have to have extra equipment such as resistant bands. So, I feel like a moron doing this workout without resistance. Lame! Insanity uses your own body for resistance and it also mixes up the workouts so you don’t get too used to it.

This is where you guys come in! It is a 60 day program and I’m going to start Monday the 18th Ill give updates and picture proof of my progress. I need for you guys to stay on me and keep me honest! I need you help to accomplish my goal. Now, I have the motivation I just need help sticking to it. So, come Monday the first part on my transformation starts. I hope your help!

Reality of drama and comedy

Ive been watching a lot of television lately. Ive always loved reality tv. My Mom used to make my bother and I take a break from our homework for "family time" we would all watch Survivor. The other reality tv I would watch with my family included a few seasons of American Idol, Big Brother, and Fear Factor. There is so much more "reality" tv out there now. Over half the shows out there are now "reality". And, Yes, I watch it. I kind of want to list them all just to see how ridiculous it is. Survivor, Big Brother, America's Next Top Model, Bad Girl's Club, MTV's Real World/Road Rules The Challenge, Masterchef, Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, The Girls Next Door, Project Runway, The Biggest Loser, The Amazing Race, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Extreme Makeover Home edition, and Im sure there are more that Im forgetting. Now, I don't watch these every week, or even watch them full season through, but I have before. then there are the non-reality shows, the drama's and comedies. I remember sitting in the living room with my mom and seeing previews for this new series that was about to start so, we decided to watch. We wanted to have something else to look forward to every week. First episode, we were hooked. The first season my mom and I would watch every week but as the seasons progressed, we couldn't watch together. I had gone off to college but we wold still talk about it together and we also introduced it to the rest of our family. It was a good show that had five great seasons. I actually have been told multiple time that I look like one of the characters. The dramas I would watch with my family starting with the one i was just talking about were LOST, 24, Friends, ER, CSI (the original. not the crapy spin offs) and I know there are others I'm missing. But when I went to college I found some of my own favorites some of which are not on the air anymore. Sopranos, Weeds, Californication, Glee, Dexter, Always sunny In Philadelphia, 30 Rock, Dead Like Me, Entourage, Make It or Break it, and more recently.. Mad Men, The Walking Dead, Boardwalk Empire, and the Big C.

I do love my TV and love to talk about it.

I know it’s been a minute since I’ve blogged. And for that, I don’t really apologize. Deal with it. Certain things in my life haven’t gone the way I would have liked for them to, but I guess that’s just life. You win some, you lose some. One thing I’m glad I can count on to be there for me without fail is the support of my friends and my family. I am truly honored to have such amazing people in my life. And, I’d just like to thank you for being awesome because, if you weren’t then we wouldn’t be friends. 

I recently went to the beach with my very good friends Chris and Katie. It was a spontaneous trip. We were having margs and they said they were leaving the next day and asked if I wanted to come. I told them that Id have to make lots of things happen. First, I’d have to ask off work. Second, I’d have to cancel my hair appointment. And third I’d have to cancel lunch with my father and my sister. Needless to say I accomplished all those things. We went to Fort Morgan and had so much fun. It was possibly the best trip I have taken in a long time.

Two weeks later, I went to Panama City with the family. We drove down and met my mom’s brother and his four kids and my mom’s mother. My mom had rented this huge house for the week. It was fun. I hadn’t seen my cousins in a while and it was nice to be down there for the weekend. I couldn’t stay the whole week because I had to be back for work. The time I was down there, however, was very hot but very nice. I got a nice tan, if I do say so myself.

Here we go again

I joined a running group again. Last time I had the aspirations to train all the way to running in the Mercedes half marathon. Needless to say, I didn’t make it. I did however make it to running a 5k. The last time I tried, I had the summer to train and then when school started back I had a hard time making time to run. So, I never finished. This time is different. I have my dad to train with me. I just started the running group and so my dad isn’t training with me now… he’s more advanced and in shape than me… good for him, sad for me. I have had a running background however, so, I feel I’ll be back to my high school shape in no time. In high school I ran cross country and did indoor and outdoor track. I wasn’t much of a fan of running long distances. 100 meter hurdles were my event. I loved sprinting and the nervous anticipation in my gut right before the gun was fired and I would spring out of the starting blocks. I loved the feeling of going over that first hurdle and getting over it, digging my spikes into the track. I loved racing, even though I was the shortest hurdler on the team and usually in the races. During track season, I would have permanent bruises on my knees from hitting the hurdles. I miss it. But, there aren’t any opportunities for me to run hurdles these days. So, distance it is. My mom is in the group I’m in now. She just starts over with them every time they do it. She has no desire to continue on to longer races. So she just keeps training for 5ks. Once we run our first 5k then my dad will pick up and train with me for the Vulcan 10k. and then on the to Mercedes. My dad has done these races and well, to tell you the truth, I’m quite intimidated. He has run the Vulcan, the statue to statue (13k), and the Mercedes. I hope I can keep up.

Wish me luck

Oh my goodness! It’s close to the middle of April and I haven’t blogged this month! For shame… Well, what to blog, what to blog?

It’s spring time. That means pollen is in the air, on our cars, in our eyes, and you know it’s gotten into other places. Yep. Pollen. For the past week, that’s all I’ve seen on facebook, clever comments and statuses about how the pollen is killing allergies, making blue cars green, making a yellow cloud over Birmingham… WE KNOW! Ye who post updates like that, you are very original and I commend you for your originality. Sigh. Well, today it’s raining. That means the world, and by world I mean Birmingham, washes its hands of pollen. You know how I know? Facebook told me. Even greater sigh. Well, they say, if you cant beat ‘em join ‘em. So my pollen status was my favorite out of them all. It read “- something clever about pollen, blah blah blah.” It was a winner.


I don’t really have any profound thoughts right now. Not that I ever do. It’s just that I haven’t had anything monumental or exciting to post. Not that that has ever stopped me from posting my day to day activities. If you still read my blog and have stuck with me… you must… I don’t know. I think my blog is quite boring. Just a place I go to ramble and ramble. Every now and then something exciting will happen. I’ll write about it. Then, read it back to my self and realize I’m a terrible story teller and who really cares that I stapled my thumb at work today? But, I continue to post. Because, you know, what? I like to go back and read how ridiculous I am. It makes me smile.

So there.