Upper Twenties

Today is my birthday.

Upper twenties, here I am.

I’ve pushed you away while all my other friends, one by one, welcomed you for the past year.  I kind of hate you for sneaking up on me so quickly, despite having all this time to mentally prepare.

Upper twenties, I feel like you are a little intimidating.

You are a lot closer to 30 than I’ve ever been before.

Upper twenties, I’m not married.  I haven’t paid off my debt.  I don’t own a home, I’m not even close to thinking about babies, and really, upper twenties, I wish you would stop making society think that I should have all these things checked off my list by now.

Upper twenties, you have this aura about you, oh yes you do.

You make me feel like I should have my entire life figured out.

But you know what, upper twenties?

I’m getting there. 

And I’m closer than I’ve ever felt before.

Upper twenties, I’ve realized that people are selfish and that some folks I once thought I was so close to aren’t exactly the greatest people I’ve ever met.  I’ve discovered that’s it okay to distance myself, say no, and grow apart.

Upper twenties, I’ve figured out that it’s okay to go against the grain, that it’s okay to feel insecure, and that most importantly – I’m not alone in this battle.

Upper twenties, I hope that you’ll support me in my belief that it’s okay to have boundaries, even if it means being seeming selfish.  I hope you’ll comfort me when I feel alone and scared and confused at times.   And I hope, upper twenties, that you’ll help me realize it’s okay (and extremely important) to say no to guilt.

Upper twenties, I’ve pulled myself together and I am on the cusp of starting a new career for myself.  Two careers, really.  Upper twenties, I’m following my passions.  In multiple ways.

I think you should take that, upper twenties.

Upper twenties, I know that even though I’ve come a long way, I still have a long way to go to get to where I want to be.  I hope you’ll be patient with me and guide me along through the next few years.

Upper twenties, here I am.

 

And all I have to say is, bring it on.

Settling In

Tim and I are finally settling in to our new apartment.

Sorry, no pictures yet.  I’ve been too busy trying to find my pants to snap any pictures of the new place.   Yes, that’s right.  I couldn’t find any pants (work or workout) for three days, despite my borderline OCD labeling of boxes.  That’s what happens when I pack my clothes into a clear container that I can’t write on with sharpie.  My pants end up buried beneath summer dresses and therefore I end up in a way too big for me skirt during a pouring rainstorm.  With a white sweater.  And no umbrella.

So yes, between moving, wrapping things up in my current position (transfer date is next Wednesday), finalizing the new fall schedule for the Y (I just added 32 new group exercise classes and hired 10 new instructors), and trying to do all my normal routine things, it’s no wonder I haven’t been able to sit down and just breathe, get settled, and enjoy my new space.

I can’t really blame all that stuff though because I have a self-diagnosed disorder where I physically cannot just SIT on the couch when there are packed boxes just taunting me to unpack them.  Sending me silent messages to get off my butt and organize something.

When will I learn it’s OKAY to just sit down and leave something undone?  Maybe when I turn 27?

That would be nice.

A couple random things from this week:

I tried a new Clif Bar flavor.

And I can’t decide how I feel about it.  It’s decent.  But there’s a flavor in there that stands out beyond the rest of the flavors and I can’t pinpoint it.  It’s not bad, I just can’t figure out.

I also made a return to oatmeal this week.  I woke up on Wednesday actually feeling a little bit chilly with a cool breeze coming through the window, and all I had was oatmeal on the brain.

Topped with peanut butter, sliced banana, blueberries, and raisins — this was especially delicious.  The fact that it was enjoyed out of my new Target bowl made it even better.  Ooo, I guess you can kind of see our brand new stove in the background.  As you can imagine, I’m loving that.

My friend Monique (my top Fitness & Feta commenter, by the way) taught my Circuit Training class on Tuesday at the Y and ended class (after the cooldown) with 5 starburst/starfish/air squat jumps.  Whatever you want to call them, that was awesome.  Monique, I’m stealing that idea!

Hmm, what else?

Oh!  Drop sets.  Been LOVING this concept from Best Body Bootcamp.  The idea?  Pick a heavier weight and do 6-8 reps of each move in the workout with the really heavy weight.  Then drop down and do the same move with a lighter/moderate weight until your muscles feel fatigued.  After the fatigue, perform an “active recovery” exercise for 90 seconds before repeating again and then moving on to the next round of exercises.  For example, do 6-8 chest presses with a fifteen pounder, then drop to a twelve pound weight and chest press away until you can’t anymore.  Then do 90 seconds of jacks, and repeat through again.

Seriously though, drop sets are yet another fun and different way to change up your strength training routine.  Tina, another workout for the win!

Alright loves, I’m out to relax sit down for 3 minutes and then find a chore to busy myself with.

Any other crazy obsessive compulsive can’t sit down kind of people out there??  Please tell me I’m not alone here.

Have a great night!

 

 

Move of the Week: Double Crunches

I know, I know.

I’m not the biggest fan of crunches.  They aren’t the most effective form of abdominal work.  Bring on the planks, V-Ups, Russian Twists, and so on… but crunches?  Eh, I have to be in the right mood.

Phase II of Tina’s Best Body Bootcamp Program incorporated a version of the basic crunch into the Core circuit work.  I’m not going to lie, when I first saw the word “crunches” there it didn’t really get me going, but… then I did them.  And it burned.  And now I likey.

Step 1

Lay on your back with your knees bent as if doing the classic crunch.  Cross your feet at the ankles or keep them shoulder width apart, whichever way is more comfortable for you.  Also make sure to support your neck by placing your fingers behind your head with your elbows open to the sides.

Doesn’t it look like I’m more ready for sleep here than a core workout?  Eyes closed after teaching Spin class!

Step 2

Exhale as you simultaneously curl your legs toward your chest and lift your shoulders slightly off the floor.  Again, just like a regular crunch but you are bringing your knees in at the same time.  Keep your abdominal muscles engaged, and make sure you don’t hold your breath here!  Keep the crunch movement slow and controlled.

Step 3

 Bring your legs and shoulders back down.  Do at least 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps, and try to incorporate among other challenging ab exercises.

To make these harder, incorporate among other challenging ab exercises and try to complete a little circuit of 2-3 straight sets of 15-25 reps each.  You’ll feel it, I promise!

Crunches — love em or hate em?  What’s your favorite twist on the classic crunch?

For more Move of the Week posts, check out the list below!

• Reverse Planks with Leg Lifts
• Side Lunge + Bicep Curl
• Row to Triceps Kickback
• Plie Squat and Bicep Curl, plus Upright Row
• Prone Reverse Fly on Stability Ball
• Stability Ball Plank
• Low Pulse Lunge
• Dumbbell Chest Press
• Modified Inverted Row
• Incline Dumbbell Chest Fly
• Elbow Plank to Elbow Side Plank
• Decline Pushups on Stability Ball
• Standing Cable Shoulder Internal Rotations
• Sumo Deadlifts
• Kneeling Glute Press
• Speed Skaters
• V-Ups
• Stability Ball Y Raise
• Triceps Bench Dip
• Plank Jumping Jacks
• Booty Blasters