The end of My First Week

Day 7 - Stretch X

Well, I made it through the week. I feel really good. I have a lot of energy, and I am not all that sore. The hour of stretching today was amazing, although near impossible to fit into my schedule. ...especially since my attempt at being organized and scheduled for my day does not work with my family's more spontaneous schedule. We need to work on coordinating better, since it is really hard to get a focused workout in with interruptions.

Overall, my impression of the first week is that it is extremely tough. I think my body is basically use to the hour-long routine now, which will make subsequent workouts easier. Again, I cannot thank my "team" enough for all the encouragement in this first week. I am pretty sure if I was doing this on my own for the first time, I probably wouldn't have made it this far. ...did I mention it is a really hard workout? :) Right now, I am feeling the benefits of it. I have more energy than I normally do, and I feel more motivated to become more fit and healthy. I am happy I started the program, mentally and physically, I needed this.

I'm going to cut down my blogging to once or twice a week, but still keep videos for my own reference. Ah, tip of the day....breath....I love it!

Bringing out the Martial Artist in Me!

Day 6 - Kenpo X

I totally brought it today! THIS is MY workout for sure! As a martial artist (on extended sabbatical...) it really makes me miss it and want to get back into it! I had to stop taekwondo for about 6 months due to a huge project I had at work, and when I wanted to come back, the dojang closed. At that time, I was 6 months away from testing for my black belt.

Martial arts are incredible for strength, speed, endurance, flexibility and focus. I miss the daily workouts with the focus and intensity that my taekwondo, judo and jujitsu classes brought. Some day I will get back into it and get my black belt. It is still a goal of mine, and martial arts is an incredibly good disipline to study. It is both a physical and mental workout!

I know I will look forward to Kenpo X every week! Here's my post-workout video blog...(to see the rest, visit my posterous site http://curlerheatherp90x.posterous.com/

Doin' My Best and Forgettin' the Rest

Day 5 - Legs & Back and Ab Ripper X

Legs and back workout was great! I like this one. It's tough, like everything else, but the soreness is subsiding and I am able to do most of the reps.

For Ab Ripper X today, I set a goal of 20 reps for everything. I had only been able to get to 10-15 the first time I did it. I figured the V-Up Split exercise would be hard, and I would try to do 15...because that one I could hardly get 10...it is my most difficult one.

Well, I got 20 reps of everything, and when we got to the V-Up Split, I lost track of my count and ended up doing the full set of 25!!! I really had to push myself for every exercise to make it to 20! I totally brought it today!!!

I am feeling fabulous!!!

Has it Really Only Been 4 days!?!

Day 4 - Yoga X

Yoga X was not new to me. I had done this workout a few times last summer, and it was intense. This time, it was much harder than I remembered. I guess it's because most of my muscles are very fatigued from pushing to the limit the past 3 days.

I was able to push through, and do most of the exercises. I only "almost" fell over a half dozen times. ;)

I absolutely love most of this workout. The second half with balance postures and stretching feels so good. It is a long workout, but it felt really good. It's amazing how much you can sweat when you're hardly moving at more than a snails pace.

I am looking forward to the next few days and then stretching on Sunday. I'm keeping up the daily blogging and video blogs on posterous this week, but I will probably switch to a weekly re-cap blog after that.

I am still a little sore. Starting this workout reminds me of the first week of swim team or soccer in High School. It's pretty much pushing through the sore and tired until you're use to it...I'm almost use to it. It's gonna be a long hard season, but I'm excited to get in the best shape of my life since my Warhawk days!

Getting Better - Pushing It

Day 3 - Shoulders & Arms and Abs

I really liked today's workout. I'm having a couple technical difficulties with my power-block weights, but nothing i can't smooth out for the next time.

Abs was a bit brutal, since I am still sore from Monday. I know I just have to push through it, and the soreness will go away.

I got vitamins to take today, and I'm probably going to order the recovery drink...the P90X vetrans in the group swear it is awesome! I'm going to try it.

I had to work out when the family was around tonight, and that didn't work out so well. It's hard to keep focused and stay in the "zone" when your little ones keep coming in to ask you questions. No big deal, but I think working out in a quiet house is the ideal situation. We'll have to seee how the weekends go.

I decided to keep short video diaries of each day for my own reference and so I can go back and watch the progress in my fitness. In case anyone wants to share in my suffering, I am going to post them all to my "posterous" site. http://curlerheatherp90x.posterous.com/

Right now, I'm really, really tired. I've been going to bed early and getting lots of sleep the past few nights, but working out this hard is taking a lot out of me right now. It's going to take a while to get use to.

I'm looking forward to yoga x tomorrow!

Ply-ooohhh...and Our P90X Team

Day 2 of P90X - Plyometrics

I was a little nervous about this one. I pre-viewed the plyo video last night so I knew what I was in for...and as the video stated, this was the "mother of all workouts." A curler friend, Liza, said this workout is brutal. Liza, by the way, is on her second round of doing the program, and is on Day 15 right now. She has been another person who is giving me some great positive, encouraging words (tweets actually). ...I also had a couple friends who said plyo is one of their favorites. ...so, I was hoping maybe I would love it.

It was brutal...and I think it's going to be a love/hate relationship with this one.

One of the cool things about starting this whole thing, is that I feel like I have a team doing it with me. I played team sports growing up. There I had a coach pushing me to my limits, and teammates by my side going through it all at the same time...with the ultimate goal of being the best players and working together to be the best and strongest team. With a handful of friends doing P90X all at the same time, I feel like they are my team, and we are all in this together. (and Tony Horton is our coach, pushing us to our limits)

Without that support, I don't know if I'd get through more than a couple weeks of this. This program is hard...yeah, I know it's only been 2 days. =)

So, here's to my friends...my P90X team! You guys rock, and with you, I KNOW I can do this all the way!

GO TEAM...
Dave Ellis - My favorite Canadian...Who talked me into this in the first place. We are scheduling it to work out at the same time if possible, and then chat about the workout after...and sometimes txt during our water breaks to complain how brutal Tony Horton is to us.

Jeremy "the hitman" Roe - Jer and his wife are both doing the program, and they are doing the full meal plan. I'm doing my own version of the meal plan and just watching my portions and cutting out junk food and drink.

Liza Beres - California curler transplanted to the midwest recently. She's a P90X vetran, and is on Day 15 of her second round. She's got the best motivational tweets! Despite a 2 hour time difference from her previous residence, (therefore working out a couple hours earlier than she was use to)...she is rockin it!

Dan Wiza - Fastest sweeper in the midwest...Saw the post on facebook, and decided he's in too! No more putting off working out! It's perfect timing for us to all be in tip-top shape for the start of curling season! Dan has done this before...he's got some good advice too.

Shana Healer - Cute, feisty, Texan culer...who can break a sweat going to the mailbox and out for ice cream. ...heck, it's Texas...its hot down there! But she's putting up her hair and working out too! You go girl!!!

I am excited to see everyone's progress, and happy to be friends with all these people who are pushing themselves to the limits to get in tip top shape! Woo hoo! Keep it up!

See yah tomorrow everybody!

Tony Horton...I Hate You

Day one of P90X workout. I survived, but I hated every moment of it. Tony Horton hates me. He wants me to suffer... Hahahaha...I LOVE IT!!! (keep telling yourself that Heather) At least I have fellow curlers, Dave Ellis and Jeremy Roe to help keep me on track!

I know I will love it in a few weeks. I'm going to blog, and occasionally add a video blog...like today. Thoughts after the first workout...

Summer is Flying By

I cannot believe the summer is half-way over already. I've been experimenting with different ways to train and keep track of everything. With a really busy family schedule this summer, it has been hard to fit in regular workouts and track progress. I have to run/walk/bike whenever I can get it in, and it's not as often as I'd like.

I recently found an app for my iPhone called "RunKeeper." I experimented with that, and I really like it. It can track my activities via GPS, and gives me updates of my progress throughout a run, walk, bike, etc. I am planning to use that moving forward to track everything. What's nice to, is it links to a web site, and I can connect to friends and get support from them as a "Street Team."

I also was talked into doing P90X...I just bought a pull-up bar...I start Monday. In 90 Days, I'll be in top shape for curling! :)

Training - Coming Up With a Plan

Since the 2010-2011 curling season is coming to a close, it's time to start thinking about my training options during the "off-season"...

Thinking...Any suggestions? How do you train over the summer?

Currently, I am reading a book called "Mind Gym" to work on my mental game. Great book so far! Thanks to Bill T. for the suggestion.

Give me a "T"... T !!!

Give me a "T"... T !!!
Give me an "E" ... E !!!
Give me an "A" ... E !!!
Give me an "M" ... E !!!

What's that spell!?! TEAM!!!

We have a team!!! A team of dedicated, motivated, goal-oriented curlers, who are going to the top! This is crazy....

See the rest of this post in my "Going for Gold" blog...

Training - Mid-April

This is where my training blog and general curling blog seem to become a bit redundant. I spent the past weekend in Saint Paul working with Coach Dex perfecting my delivery. :) I threw over 400 rocks...not counting all the additional sliding on top of that. Dex is an AMAZING coach.

See my "Going for Gold" Blog for a recap of my awesome weekend!!! http://curlerheather.blogspot.com

Training 4/8 and 4/9/2010

4/8 - Marathon curling night...double-header in Poynette for the first night of Spring League. Played 2nd... 2 games, 17 ends...and LOTS of sweeping! :) I am thouroughly sore from head to toe today. It feels great!

4/9 - Biked somewhere between 9 and 10 miles tonight...pulling a 4-year-old on a tandem trailer...it would have been nice if he would have helped me pedal...but I guess I got a better workout that way.

Training 4/6/2010

Does walking to and from the car to Miller Park for the Brewer game count as a workout? If so...I'm set for today! HA! Guess I'll have some catch-up work-outs to do this weekend. :)

Go Brewers!!!

Training 3/5/2010

I took my daughter to dance class on Monday night, and went for a run/walk while she was at class. I figure I ran about a mile, followed by a brisk mile walk. My hip felt really good after my muscles warmed up. It hurt after I cooled down, but I stretched it out and have been doign the hip abductor exercises.

Training - Early April

Still have a sore left hip. Talked to a sports medicine Dr. friend of mine...and I'm doing some hip flexor and abductor excercises. I want to make sure I'm in tip-top shape and can't afford to injure myself.

Will continue abs and yoga...and wear my shape-up shoes everywhere I go.

Start spring curling league on Thursday in Poynette...double-header the first night should kick all those curling muscles back into gear. :)

Training 3/29/2010

Last ice at KMCC today. :(
Spent 10 minutes just sliding without broom and stone, then slid a bit with just a broom out to the sides. Delivered 4 up and down. ...didn't want to over-do it because my lower back was a sore.

Said my fairwells to the ice till October. (my ice at least...St. Paul, here I come!)

Jumped rope for 10 minutes tonight followed by about a half hour walk in my "shape-up" shoes.

I only did 10 minutes of jump rope, because last time I did 20, and it hurt my left hip. My hip is getting better, but I didn't want to push it. After about 10 minutes I could feel it starting to hurt, so I stopped and opted for walking.

Training 3/28/2010

Got the Sketchers "Shape-Up" shoes this morning. Wore them helping out at the curling club all morning and at home all day. Feels good!

Only ice time today was being the "Bag Piper" for our New curler Mini-Speil.

Training 3/27/2010

Stopped at the club this morning and spent some time out on the ice with my 4-year-old. I spent about 20 minutes just sliding without a broom or stone. Concentrated on keeping shoulders parallel with the ground in the hack, and keeping balanced. I have decent balance from all those years riding a unicycle growing up, and 4 years of ballet as an adult. :)

My little guy had been playing with the "little rocks" on the sheet next to me. He asked me if I could sweep for him. He runs along with the stone and stabalizer until he gets to the hog line and lets it go. He can actually get it to the house on the far end. So, I swept 12 little rocks from hog to house as hard an fast as I could go... 12 stones in a row with no breaks...that seems like a great way to get some sweeping practice. (Okay, so I did get one break between his "ends"...when he did "eenie-meenie-minee-mo" to pick which order he was going to throw his three stones. :)

I did throw 8 stones down and back concentrating on how I held the stone and my release. I made a couple small corrections suggested by a fellow curler (Thanks Tim K) and I was amazed how big a difference that made in my release. :) Very happy wtih that improvement!

Training 3/25/2010

I was in Buffalo Grove, IL for work today...so I didn't get any ice time. It was a long day. I did find out that my office in Buffalo Grove is only 8 miles from the Chicago Curling club...I'll have to figure out someone I can meet up with there some day and check out their club.

Since it was such a long day, I took a break from doing a physical workout today, and opted for some studying instead. I dug out my "Hot Shots Fantasy Curling Camp" resource manual and started reading that. There is a TON of great information in it to review. I only got half way through before I was falling asleep...but I will review more of it this week. ...and I need to find a VCR so I can take a look at my delivery analysis video and see what how I threw 6 years ago. :)

Training 3/24/2010

Threw 16 rocks at the curling club at lunch.
Today is suppose to be a cardio/abs day. It's looking like I may take a run around the block or jump rope...or maybe the tread mill. Either way, going to make sure to use correct mechanics so I don't hurt my hip more. I'm also going to message a couple of my friends who are physical therapists/sports medics.