New Chapter

Yesterday I celebrated my 1 year anniversary of moving to England. I have to say, it's been quite a year. From packing up my belongings and saying good-bye to the country I got used to calling home to settling down in a new country -- so much has happened. The biggest change has definitely been shifting from teaching in a university to teaching Jiu-Jitsu. As I continued to get more involved in Jiu-Jitsu training it was definitely something I wanted to do, but it wasn't something I saw becoming a reality so quickly.

celebrating my 1 year anniversary - I thought it would be fitting to wear a traditional Kuwaiti dress as a reminisced about Kuwait and planned for my future in London

The move and my adjustment to this new life has been good. I've taken it all in stride and I'm happy with where things are headed. That being said, I don't really feel like I've been myself over the past few months. I was kind of moving from one day to the next without really feeling fully focused. I'm hoping that now that I've moved into the new house and things are finally starting to fall into place that all that is about to change.

Today was the perfect day to start that change.

My 2nd year in England started with a renewed commitment to myself. I've spent a LOT of time trying to get the house sorted, doing tons of cooking, and running errands. While that aspect of my life will not change, what I want to do is reorganize how I'm handling everything. I found too many days to just pass by without me taking the time I need to get my own things done (studying, lesson planning, blogging, etc.). I also spend so much time prepping food for D and the household that I don't often take time to prepare proper meals for myself. I need that to stop. I am committed to eating 3 proper healthy meals a day. No more snacking as meals, even if it is on healthy foods. I need to eat properly.

In addition to all that, I joined a new gym! I actually went and signed up last week but today was my first day there. It felt good to be back to weight training.

The new gym is close to my house so that's quite convenient. It's fairly large - huge cardio section, a spin studio, an aerobics studio, several resistance machines and an ok size free weight area. They've got a lap pool as well as an indoor basketball court. It definitely has all the basics for a good workout. I think what it's lacking is a bit of character and atmosphere, but I'm going there to get in my workouts so I guess that doesn't matter too much. I'm also not too keen on the fact that I have to wear a wristband while I'm at the gym -- but that's a minor inconvenience too.

 a glimpse of part of the cardio section

I didn't want to take too many photos on my 1st day. 

 the wristband - is it really necessary?

I started off with a basic workout today -
dynamic stretching
warm-up on the treadmill
45 minutes weight training
cool down on the treadmill
cool down stretching

decided to wear a new pair of trainers to my new gym

It felt good to be back in the gym.

I'm hoping that this renewed focus and commitment to myself will help me reach my next set of goals.

Gym Membership

I haven't been feeling like myself for the past month. There's just been too much going on and I feel like I've just been scraping by.

My food has been on point - but I've been so tired, stressed, and distracted that I haven't really been enjoying cooking or eating. I'm glad the Whole Life Challenge has been helping me stay on track and forcing me to cook/eat at home otherwise I know that there would have been many, many takeouts ordered over the past month.

My exercise has been regular but minimal - This week was definitely better in terms of exercise as I got back on the mats for Jiu-Jitsu training and have been attending more classes to assist with coaching. It's felt great. My wrist injury is holding me back from joining in full force, but I'm taking steps to improve it. I've definitely felt lost without my weight-training and as much as I have been trying to take advantage of working out outdoors, I have to admit that unless the weather conditions work in my favor, I've stayed indoors and haven't done as much as I would have liked. Not having a gym membership has felt weird. I don't think I've ever gone for any period of time over the past 8 years without a gym membership -- so not being anchored to a gym has felt strange to me. Thankfully that changed from today!

I signed up at a local gym (membership starting from Tuesday). The gym itself is pretty good, but what was most appealing was the fact that it has yoga/pilates class almost every morning, and that works really well with my schedule - I just hope the instructor is good.

I've only signed up for a one month membership at the moment. I want to see how I like it before committing to this particular gym for a year. The location is really convenient for me so I hope it works out.

I've found that it's so easy to get distracted with daily errands and little tasks that other, possibly more important, things don't get done. I've realized that by losing myself in the set up and organization of the new house that I've been neglecting my own overall well-being. That's had an impact on my sleep, my mood, and my overall enjoyment of things in general. I really do think that with a gym membership and yoga classes to look forward to, I'll feel more like myself. I need to get back to basics and focus on my long-term goals.

I can't wait to get started!

Morning Workout Mishaps

I love working out in the mornings. I usually have the gym all to myself, or at the very least, there are only a handful of people around. I like the 'me' time before I get thrown into my day. I liked the idea of getting my workout over and done with just in case something else comes up during the day or I start to feel lazy. It's all good stuff.

The empty gym at 6:45 a.m. 

A few things that I need to work on:

1. Have my gym bag, work clothes, and work bag plus post-workout food ready the night before. I've been good at having most of my stuff ready. However, most just doesn't cut it. I don't like being frantic and rushed before leaving the house. I really need to have it all prepared beforehand to avoid the morning chaos.

My morning prep 

Yes, it bugs me that my gym bag is not a shade of green to go with the gym outfit. 

2. When it comes to work clothes, I need to make sure I have all the necessary components to my outfit, because if I've forgotten something, I'm outta luck. A couple examples of things that happened to me this week:
- the pair of shoes I chose for my outfit matched perfectly -- but somehow were too big on my feet! I was slipping and sliding in them and ended up stuffing Kleenex in the toes to help me stay in place.
- the early morning haze turned into stormy clouds and I got caught in a downpour of rain while wearing a silk dress and sandals! Had I been home, I would have definitely opted for warmer clothing and my Hunter boots!

Tuesday's shoes -- love them, though after 6 hours of being on my feet - following 'leg day' at the gym, I was more than ready to kick them off! 

I may keep a spare more comfortable pair in my office at work. 

3. Since I'm not having dairy or processed foods during the WLC, my post-workout meal hasn't been the easiest to decide. I want something easy to carry, easy to eat, and filling. So far I've either been having my eggs and avocado mix or chicken with mixed vegetables. I eat half of it while I'm in the locker room and the other half after my class. The food would taste better warm, but right now I'm just eating it cold. It's all I have the time/facilities for. I'd like to think of something a little more enjoyable. For right now though, 'food is fuel' is my mantra.

Standing and Eating - A terrible habit of mine, but one I've been engaging in a lot lately.

4. I need to have my routine set. Since my time is limited, I really don't have the luxury of coming up with an impromptu workout plan. I think this will be better from next week. This week was all about testing out my timing and my energy. I now know what time I need to end my workouts by in order to have enough time to shower, change, eat, and drive to work in time for my office hours/class. I also feel a lot better since I've incorporated my sprint/HIIT training with the C25K program. I also think I'm doing alright for my weights -- I'll know more after my doctor's appointment on Saturday (wish me luck).

All in all, this first week of getting back to my gym routine followed by heading to work has been good. I definitely feel energetic after my morning workout, though I also feel really hungry throughout the day. I need to be careful of exactly how much I'm eating and make sure that I really am using food for fuel and not consuming unnecessary calories.

Frustrated

I don't know where the days are going. I seem to be doing something every minute of the day. I was hoping that this semester would be easy, especially given that I've taught this course for years and last year my lesson plans/power point slides were really good. However, I found out last week that the book that we're using has been changed -- that means that all my plans from last year are useless. I mean, a few things are salvageable, but it still means putting in several hours a week preparing for class.

Last week I got back to my Kajukenbo training. That felt really good. The class is full of new faces - all new to the class. This whole week I was the only yellow belt that showed up, so I was used a number of times to demonstrate some of the moves. There are a few things that I'm good at and others that I struggle with. Thursdays class involved kicks -- my kicking sucks. I just have no power behind my kicks. I left class with tears in my eyes, totally dissatisfied with how I performed in class. Even my coach's words of encouragement didn't lift my mood. I know I'm hard on myself -- I get frustrated. What can I say?

On Wednesday I started my morning gym routine. I'd like to hit the gym 4 times a week plus do my Kajukenbo 3 times a week. I still have my Brazilian Jiujitsu training to work into the mix - I haven't been able to do that so far. However, I'm meeting with my coach next week and we'll see what can be arranged.

It felt great to get back to the gym albeit still very frustrating because I can't use my arms/upper body. On Wednesday I focused on legs (what else could I do?). I really pushed myself and I was pleased with how my workout went.

However, when I woke up on Thursday, I could barely walk. Every step was painful (the good, but torturous kind of pain). I got myself to the gym and got on the treadmill. Somehow I managed to push out an HIIT workout. It's been a long time since I've sprinted. Given how sore my legs were, I don't know how I stayed on the treadmill. After that I decided to do some core work - plank, crunches, reverse curls etc.

Again, I'm frustrated because although there are lots of exercises I can do without my arms, I feel like it's a bit of overkill on my legs. I know that I'm just getting back into the routine, so initial soreness is to be expected, but what about later? Suppose I still can't use my arms for another month? How much leg work can I do while still being effective?

That night at Kajukenbo, as luck would have it, we ran, worked on sprints, and did all sorts of leg exercises plus focused on kicks.

Seriously?

It was hard enough going down the stairs to get to class, but then to focus on legs? It was tough. Really tough.

I know that added to my disappointing performance. However, I don't want to make excuses. I don't want to say that my kicks sucked because I was sore. I need to find a way to get past this.

I need to find a way to schedule my workouts so I'm not exhausted and that I can give 100% in whatever I'm doing. I haven't figured out how to do this yet.

To help me get over my frustration about class, my brother was kind enough to be my tackling dummy this weekend. I feel much better now that I've put in a few more hours of practice. I still have so much further to go though. It's ok - I just have to keep at it.

Fly By Post

Insanely busy day today so just a quick check in.

4:30 a.m. Wake up
6:30 a.m. Gym - a bit of cardio; kettlebell swings; taekwondo practice; burpees; skipping; pull-up practice; and ab work plus some really good stretching
9:15 a.m. Work - good class followed by a research interview
1:30 p.m. Acupuncture
3:00 p.m. Home/Lunch/Rest/Dinner Prep
5:15 p.m. Off to kickboxing - extra long session today
8:15 p.m. Home

Knackered.

Today's Workouts
Cardio: Treadmill
Gym: General conditioning
Stretching: 15 minutes
MMA: Cardio Kickboxing @ ClubFit (1 1/2 hours)
Burpees: 60 {challenge total 900/20,130}

Today's Food
Breakfast: Banana & then 3 egg muffins & half an avocado after the gym at work
Lunch: Scallops and edamame (leftovers from last night)
Dinner: Baked salmon on puy lentils & stewed tomatoes and carrots (new recipe; delicious; will share)
Snack: 2 dates

G'Night.

Trying Out the New Plan

One of the best things I learned to do (practiced doing) since last year was not getting so freaked out and uptight when things didn't go according to plan. Something always seemed to come up. I didn't want those incidents to throw me off course. Rather, I wanted to learn how to roll with the punches and still make the most of my day.

Trying out the workout
Yesterday I put together my morning weights workout plan. My intention is to do this three times a week. The whole workout should take about 1 1/2 hours though I've put aside 2 hours just in case.

Of course this morning I realized that since it was the first day of the semester, I needed to go to work an hour earlier than I will have to starting next week. That totally threw off my timing.

Still, I shortened my warm-up, went straight for the weights workout, did my burpees, and then cooled down & stretched. I wanted to include a short HIIT session after the weights, but I skipped that for today. Hopefully I'll get it in next time.

Trying out the food
I made my egg muffins (basically following this recipe) first thing in the morning but then decided that I didn't want to eat them just before my morning workout. I thought they'd make a better post-workout meal - but would they taste ok cold? There are no food heating facilities at my gym & I definitely wanted to eat something after my workout. It turns out they were ok cold. I think I'm going to chop them up and add half an avocado for a more complete meal. I ate them at 8:30 a.m. -- I was hungry by 10:30. The last thing I want is for my stomach to be growling in the middle of one of my lectures!

I've also decided to make an extra portion of dinner so that I can eat it for lunch the next day. I'm just way too hungry by the time I get home - and being hungry & impatient often leads to unhealthy choices. I'm going to try the leftovers for lunch thing out and see how it goes.

Trying out acupuncture
Yes - this is something new. I finally got an appointment with an acupuncturist who is supposed to be really good. I decided to go because the cramps from my fibroids have just gotten too painful. I'm getting them daily. Although they only occur 3-4 times a day for a short time, it's still enough to make me feel really uncomfortable and of course in pain. I definitely don't want to go through another surgery, and I do believe that's where I'm headed, without trying out other options. So acupuncture it was.

The acupuncturist was optimistic that she could help. I also told her about a few little niggling pains I had in my knee, hip, and shoulder (all on the left side) as well as my migraines and she said she could help with those as well. I'll write more about my experience in another post. For now I'll just say that it wasn't too bad and I'm hopeful.

I will be seeing her regularly for at least a month. This is not something that I planned for, so I'll have to see how I can incorporate this change into my schedule.


Today's Workout
Cardio: 20 minutes on the cross-trainer
Weights: NROL - Workout 2A (about 30 minutes)
Burpees: 90 {challenge total: 530/20,130}
MMA: taekwondo & jiu jitsu @ Sidekick Academy (75 min)
Stretching: 15 minutes

Today's Food
Breakfast pre-workout: Banana
Breakfast post-workout: Egg muffins (3 = 180 calories total)
Lunch: grilled lamb, hummus, muhamara, and 2 pita breads {leftovers from last night}
Dinner: baked white fish with 1/3 sweet potato and some peas
Snack: 2 chocolate digestive biscuits

Exercise was great; food wasn't perfect, but am definitely much more on track.

I'm satisfyingly sore and really sleepy.

An Ordinary Day

I had dinner plans today so I knew that I wasn't going to make my taekwondo class at night. I do hate missing class, but sometimes things can't be avoided -- and family always comes first.

I hit the gym in the afternoon. I warmed up on the treadmill and headed into the free-weights room.

I love how now I don't hesitate or feel self-conscious when I'm walking into the weights room, which is  predominantly filled with guys lifting heavy weights. Now I'm lifting heavy weights alongside them.

Of course there's still the occasional guy who looks with an expression of - What are you doing in here? It's great watching that expression change to - Damn! I'm impressed ;)

I've decided to follow New Rules of Lifting. Since I've already completed the New Rules of Lifting for Women, I've decided to start on the one that is for men. The exercises are pretty much the same. We'll see how it goes.

It felt good to have a 'normal' workout -- I've been so involved in classes and group fitness lately that I forgot how enjoyable the solitary exercise experience is as well.

It was great having my music on, my plan in hand, and the weights in front of me.

I finished up with 20 minutes on the elliptical machine. In between my exercises I jumped rope (100 skips - no double unders though). Finally, I did 15 minutes of really good deep stretching ... and then I was good to go!

It was really great seeing some of the trainers I hadn't seen in a while and having them comment on my progress. They were very encouraging and supportive of my exploration into martial arts. They were also great about telling me they would help me out with my lifting whenever I needed them, which has been something that's been on my mind since I'm still unsure of my CrossFit status.

It felt really good to know that I had a positive support team behind me.

Gym Stuff

As I've been sorting through my things, I've been putting my gym stuff - clothes, equipment, bags, etc. - to one side so that I can properly go through them. OMG. I've got a lot of stuff. Just to give you a brief idea, I've got 6 gym bags (not including anything for swimming or yoga), 4 pairs of boxing gloves, 12 pairs of hand wraps, 6 jump ropes, and 3 pairs of Zumba specific trainers ... for starters!

I like my gym stuff. I like having equipment that's mine, that I can clean and take care of, that I know I have without the worry that once I get to the gym someone else will be using it.

Like everything else, this is an area that I need to streamline. I bought a whole bunch of gym clothes earlier this month but I didn't throw out  many. The old ones are obviously too big for me so I need to make sure that things that don't fit - even if they're in good shape - are thrown out.

I definitely started Operation De-Clutter this year ... 2013 has to be the year that I make my house clutter-free. There's just too much bloody stuff.

What's the point of having it if I'm not using or enjoying it or worse, not taking care of it?

Anyway.

UFC 155 was on early this morning - started at 6 a.m. I didn't start watching until 6:30 ... wow that was a lot of blood before breakfast. Still, I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the Lauzon & Miller fight. I've watched fights before, but this was the first time I really got into it ...

My training schedule for 2013 is insane. I've got a lot of things going on and while I'd like to do everything, I need to be realistic. There's no point scheduling things in and then not having the energy to complete everything with 100% commitment. I want to do it all, but I know I can't. Reality sucks.