This Weekend!

Lots of fun activities are planned for this weekend. Here's my list o' fun:

1) Dallas Race for the Cure
2) Dance Practice in Plano
3) My Nephews Soccer Game
4) SPA week massage
5) Dinner at the Keg to celebrate MB's Promotion
6) Appearance in Austin
7) R&R (maybe)

I can't wait!! :)

SPA WEEK!

Dallas- it's spa week! $50 specials on spa services until October 16th- where are you going, and what services are you enjoying?

I'm going to the Spa at Saks and getting a swedish massage on Saturday. I'll post a report after! :)

Choices..

I have WAY overdone it on my fall wardrobe, so I MUST reduce. Here are the outfits I have purchased:

Please tell me you hate something so I can return it!!?

I'm finally ready to admit...

...That I have a small case of OCD. Especially regarding "exercise credit". Let me explain...

I do a few things to stay in shape/challenge myself including:

• Dance practice 3x/week and games every couple weeks
• Dance Team Session with GinJer (our trainer)
• Running training for a half marathon
• Gym visits to either 24 fitness or Gold's Gym (they have tv's on the cardio equipment so I can read my magazine, watch e! and exercise all at once!!!)

I have a health club membership to both 24hr and Golds via my health insurance provider. When I scan my membership card at either place, I get "points" to buy goodies once I reach a certain number of gym visits per week (4 is ideal). Naturally, this entices me to go to the gym to do my workouts. Since my dance practice is at a studio, I have been known to drop by the gym on the way to practice to scan my card to get exercise credit, then go to the studio. :)

I am also a member of Virgin Healthmiles through my employer. I wear a pedometer, upload steps and log my exercise to earn healthmiles- which add up to a potential 36,000 miles per year. You can cash in your healthmiles for heart rate monitors, gift cards, or cash. Up to $300/year.

I also belong to RunKeeper- our local councilman does a monthly challenge where if you log 10 workouts of 30 min+ each month, he buys breakfast at a local health-conscious restaurant. Very nice gesture.

Obviously, my optimal workout for free goodies would be to wear my pedometer to the gym to earn both "points" and healthmiles, then log those exercises on RunKeeper.

The last factor I consider is my Garmin watch, which uses GPS to log my run routes, time, lap splits, etc.  

Before I work out, I make sure I have on both my healthmiles pedometer and my garmin watch.

HEAVEN FORBID I workout without getting credit for it!! 

Moral of the story- I have a routine I stick to, but If I let myself totally succumb to "goodie gluttony", I would run to they gym each day (logging the run on my Garmin watch), then check in at the gym, watch tv, and run back home. I would then "Sync" my Garmin, upload my run activity to both the Garmin Site (the to facebook if I wanted to brag), sync to RunKeeper (for my free breakfast), then upload my steps on the healthmiles website, and end with reporting my activity to my health insurance company. 

Both healthmiles and my insurance company have a time limit on how far back you can log activities,so I try to do it weekly (on Mondays). I know a lot of people would NOT waste time to get $300/year and a few other goodies along the way, but I CAN NOT have some award available to me and not try to win it. Call it OCD, call it coveting, call it what you want, just don't call me on this obsession- I'll be at the bank cashing my Healthmiles checks :) 

In addition to OCD- I also have exercise ADD. I can't just stick to one workout plan. I have a food journal (to keep track of weight watcher points) where I also log my exercise. In that journal, I have the class schedules for Pure Barre (a dance workout), Sunstone (Hatha Yoga), Hal Higdon's Half Marathon Training Guide, the Insanity workout program, and my 3 favorite 24 hour fitness class schedules. The sad part of all this is that I work out 5 days per week (3 of those are dance days), so I have these schedules for only 2 days of working out per week. Clearly, I've convinced myself that if I have the options at my fingertips, I will never miss a workout (not true at all). 

I'd like to offer my thanks to the following for putting up with me and keeping me in check: 

• Weight watchers
• 24 hour & Gold's Gyms
• Virgin Healthmiles
• RunKeeper
• Personal Health Manager
• GinJer
• DCR&B

Fall Wardrobe!!

I didn't buy the first outfit (just the elephant belt), but I have the rest- whatcha think mama?

I can't believe it's over!!

Matt was kind enough to go see the final Harry Potter with me a few weeks ago, and of course, I took a (very close up) picture to document the momentous occasion. I loved he movie, and loved date night with MB!! :)

Pure Barre

I LOVE to exercise, and I love when my friends get excited about a new workout! Tristan just signed up for a month's membership at Pure Barre, a ballet/yoga/toning hybrid workout (about an hour) that does a lot of isometric work. I've been told I need to work on keeping my weight in my toes for dance, so I figured this was a good way to practice. The workout uses a small ball, toning band, and light weights (you have your choice of 2,3, or 5 lb. weights to choose from) to tone the following (female problem) areas:

• Abs
• Thighs
• Seat 
• Arms

One aspect of the class I loved was, after each target area training, you stretch that area.. I sweat just a little (but I sweat VERY EASILY), and feel like I got my $20 worth.
You have the option of $20/class, $100/month (for your first month), class cards that offer discounts starting at 10 classes, or monthly memberships. I liked the workout, enjoyed the instructor, and LOVED laughing with Tristan throughout the class (a lot of the moves involve hip thrusting/butt clenching, and I'm very giggly when I get embarrassed). Part of the reason I was embarrassed was that I realized when you perform a "Tuck" (butt clench), you can see EVERY ounce of cellulite through your black yoga pants (oh, and everyone wears black yoga pants)..

Next time I go I would push myself a little harder (the class went by very fast), I would buy the gripper socks they sell because I slipped on the carpet quite a bit, and I would try to relax while stretching.

YEA Tristan & Cess!! PROOF!!!