Better Week, But Not Great

I've decided to start posting only a few times a week instead of every day since not much changes from day to day.

This week was a little better than last week.  I didn't get out to run Monday morning because Jacob and Harley had been sick the night before and I really didn't want to go out by myself.  Tuesday, I worked out with the Wii Fit and Wii Active games.  Wednesday, I went out for an early morning run with Harley.  Thursday and Friday I didn't get a workout done.

Since Emma has started school, it's really thrown off my routine.  I would love to be able to go run after dropping her off at school, but I can't leave Ava, who is usually awake until about 11:00.  After that, it's too hot to be out running.  I'm aiming to make this week better.

I am pretty proud of myself though, as I've lost almost 5 pounds in the two weeks since cleaning up my diet!  I feel better about myself.  My jeans that used to fit well are now a little looser and slightly baggy.  A few of my shirts are looser as well.  I'm definitely pretty pleased with myself :)

Thursday - Wii Active Workout

I normally don't work out other than my running, but my kids and I spent the day at my parents house today because my air went out and the heat index is 112°F.

It all started with me trying to get Emma Grace, my four year old, to play Mario Cart. She played a race or two, but lost interest because Ava, my two year old, was amassing a huge pile of toys that Emma wanted to play with.

While they were playing, I played a few Wii games, but none were really holding my interest. Then, I remembered that my parents have Wii Fit, so I wanted to play it. My Dad and I spent a good 30 minutes looking for the Balance Board, but couldn't find it. So I decided to play Wii Active instead.

I picked a pretty high intensity 30 minute work out and started sweating it out. After 40 minutes, I was finally finished with the workout.. and I burned about 220 calories!

I think I may have to start coming by to bug my parents on my non-running days to come use the Wii because it really kicked my butt! Plus, it would balance out the cardio of running with a bit of strength training.

C25K: Week 3 Day 2

I know I said I was going to post yesterday, but ad I was getting up and getting ready I noticed the house was awfully hot. Turned out, there was something wrong with our A/C system that we spent most of the day fixing.

I went out for a run today instead. Maybe it's a good thing this week is going to be a 3 day week instead of a 4 day. My shins are really sore from Monday's run, so I may have a few weeks of "recovery" 3 day runs instead of jumping back into the 4 day weeks like I was planning.

Anyway, here are today's stats:
Distance - 2.62 miles
Time - 37:36 minutes
Average Pace - 14:19/mile
Fastest - 9:03/mile
Slowest - 96:33/mile ??
Calories Burned - 281

I must have walked faster than usual today, as my average pace is almost a minute faster than usual, even though my running was a little slower. I will admit, I have been trying to speed it up because I want to keep my heart rate up in the "calorie burn" zone.

I changed up my route slightly today as Harley has been getting stickers in his feet in one particular area. I considered trying to put socks or something on his feet to try to try to repel them, but I know he would absolutely refuse to go outside if I did. If he did decide to put up with the sicks, hoeever, it would be quite comical to watch him trot along beside me!

It's been quite humid here the past few days, so any little breeze is much appreciated. However, on my last 3 minute round, I was running against the wind and it literally felt like I was trying to move a mountain. And it wasn't even a strong breeze!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go soak my shins an some Epsom salt bath. I'll see you guys Friday!

C25K: Week 3 Day 1 (Again)

This week, I'm repeating Week 3 again, and probably will for a few more weeks. I still have trouble running the full three minutes without stopping early because I can't catch my breath.

Last week, there was only one buzzard sitting on the tree watching me. Today, there were six! A few times, one of them would even fly over about 10 feet over my head and hover for a split second. I can only imagine he was checking to see how close I was to passing out.

Buzzards aside, however, I'm running some of my fastest times the past few outings. Here's today's stats:

Distance - 2.75 miles
Time - 35:40 minutes
Average Pace - 13:51/mi
Fastest - 8:59/mi
Slowest - 33:43/mi
Calories Burned - 248

I'll see you tomorrow!

C25K: Week 3 Day 1 Repeat

I know, I know.. I've been very lazy and unmotivated for the past few weeks. My husband was out of town and I was staying up too late to want to get up and go running at 7:00 am. Bad Hunter...

But I'm back into it now! Just got back in from a 2.5 mile run and I feel great! I was quite impressed with my stamina as I was able to still run for the 3 minutes that are in Week 3. Here's my times:

Time - 34:42
Average Pace - 15:13/mile
Fastest - 9:35/mile
Slowest - 33:12/mile
Calorie Burn - 244

I also had this critter watching me the entire time.. I was beginning to feel like Simba passed out in the desert!

C25K: Week 3 Day 3

Today was rough!  According to the weather, it was 132 degrees Fahrenheit when I went out!  Now, we all know it wasn't actually (more like 70 degrees), but it sure felt like it!  The weight of the humidity in the air felt like I was running with an extra ten pounds strapped to my middle.

And if that wasn't bad enough, there were birds everywhere this morning.  And Harley is a Catahoula Cur mix, which means he was bred to be a hunting dog..  So he was trying to chase all of the birds.  One time, he actually darted in front of me and halfway across the road to chase a bird that had swooped past.  Thankfully there wasn't a car coming.

Today's stats are:
Time - 37:07 minutes
Distance - 2.44 miles
Fastest - 10:17/mile
Slowest - 34:48/mile
Avg. Pace - 15:12/mile
Calories Burned - 260

I believe that I'm going to bump up my mileage next week from 7.5 miles to 10 by adding in an extra running day.  So my new running schedule will be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.  I'll be adding in repeat day for my C25K program instead of advancing to the next week.  I may even be repeating Week 3 next week as it's pretty tough and Week 4 will be even tougher.  Week 4's workout is run 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds, run 5 minutes, walk 2.5 minutes, run 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds, run 5 minutes.  I'll give it a try Monday before I make my final decision, however.

I'll see you tomorrow for my weight in!

New Name, Same Blog

Hi guys!  What do you think of the new name?  I'm pretty excited about it!  I decided to rename the blog as I no longer use it as it was originally intended (as a food diary to keep me more accountable).  I now also have a personal Instagram account that I will post updates on and be a little more visual with my daily life than on here.  Pop on over to IG and follow me if you'd like!

Easter Break Catch Up

Hi guys!

I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday weekend!  I had an extremely busy (yet wonderful!) Easter break, so I'm just now catching up on my posts.  My last weigh in results (which I actually took Monday morning) are:

• Arms - 12 (down 0.5")
• Chest - 36.75 (down 1.25")
• Waist - 41.25 (down 1.25")
• Hips - 41.75 (down 1.25")
• Thighs - 21.25 (down 1.25")
• Weight - 168.6 (down 3 lbs)
• BMI - 26.8 (down 0.5)

I know last post I stated that I was going to repeat my C25K program's Week 2 again until I felt more comfortable running as long as Week 3, but I think part of my inability to keep up was the fact that I went at the hottest point of the day.  The heat just sapped all of my energy.

So this week, I've been doing Week 3.  I did Day 1 yesterday and Day 2 today, as I'm trying to get my running back to my Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule.  Friday, I will be completing Day 3.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to repeat Week 3 a few times.  Running for a  solid three minutes is extremely tough!

Week 3's course is running 90 seconds, walking 90 seconds, running 3 minutes, walking 3 minutes and repeating.  Yesterday, I was unable to run the first 3 minutes.  I found a better pace and was able to go the full 3 minutes the second time, however.  Today, I was able to do both 3 minute times.

Week 3 Day 1 Stats:

Distance - 2.57 miles

Time - 35:40 minutes
Fastest - 8:33/mile
Slowest - 33:43/mile

Avg. Pace - 13.51/mile

I ran my fastest 1K by running it in 6:56.  I ran my fastest mile at 12:48.

Week 3 Day 2 Stats:

Distance - 2.46 miles

Time - 38.05 minutes
Fastest - 9:50/mile
Slowest - 27:28/mile

Avg. Pace - 15.27/mile

Today's average pace should have been faster, but I had to chase down my dog and walk her back to the house in the middle of my run.  Emma Grace, my oldest, let her out of the house.

I love seeing my records update on Nike+ Running.  I can't believe I've come so far!  Here are my beginning times:

1K - 16:53

1 mile - 17.25

I can't wait to see how much faster I get and how much further I can go!

Thanks for reading!

Weekly Weigh In

I believe I've hit my first real hurdle in losing weight.  My weight stayed about the same this week, and my measurements didn't really change any.  I'm hoping that the increases I've experienced are because of muscle gains, but I know I haven't been eating like I should be either.

• Arms - 12 (down 0.5")
• Chest - 37 (down 1")
• Waist - 41 (down 1.5")
• Hips - 42.25 (down 1.25")
• Thighs - 21.25 (down 0.1.25")
• Weight - 168.6 (down 3)
• BMI - 26.8 (down 0.5)

See you Monday!

Day 13: Plyometric Cardio Circuit

I just did not feel like doing this today.  I've been really sluggish all day and procrastinated until about three in the afternoon to do the workout.  I was barely able to keep up with the video or even complete it.  I finally made it through, but I felt like it would never end.  It didn't help that my shins have been aching since I woke up this morning.  Maybe I need to invest in some memory foam insoles for my running shoes..  But it's only every now and then that running irritates my shins.

I think a lot of it has to do with my poor diet recently.  I've been trying to eat more nutritious this week, but I haven't been eating near as often as I should.  Several days last week, all I ate was supper.  Absolutely terrible, I know.  I haven't been hungry for some reason, so I haven't been thinking about eating.

Tomorrow morning, before anything else, I'm going to to sit myself down and eat an egg white omelet for breakfast.  I'll even add in extra baby spinach leaves for the vitamins.

Hopefully tomorrow, I'll have more energy and feel good for my morning run!

C25K: Week 2 Day 2

Hello everyone!  I went out for my run this morning even though I really didn't want to.  But I'm glad I did!  I woke up this morning really tired and drug around until the absolute latest I could possibly go out because I was telling myself that I didn't want to go today.  When I finally forced myself outside, I told myself that I was only going to walk a few laps and go back inside.

I was not enjoying being outside, at all.  There's been a cold snap the past few days, so it was quite chilly when I started this morning.  Not to mention, there was a heavy dew on the ground that had soaked my shoes and socks through before I even made it to the road to start walking.

After my half mile warm-up, however, I finally forced myself to turn on my C25K app and started running, still telling myself that I was going to go in after two laps.  Let's face it, who likes running with wet, squidgy shoes?  I sure don't!

After two laps, I had started to wake up, the temperature was warm enough to take off my jacket (or maybe I was just hot?), and I had quit paying attention to the water squishing between my toes with every step.  I was enjoying myself!

So I finished my 2.5 miles in a rather slow 39 minutes and already completed my step goal set by Noom.  So far, I already have 6500 steps and it's only 8:20 in the morning!  Today is going to be a great day!

Get out there and work past your excuses!

Day12: Fit Test and Weekly Weigh In

I'm sorry this is so delayed.  It's allergy season here and I've been under the weather all weekend long.  Last Wednesday, I did Day 11, which I said was Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs.  Well, turns out, I accidentally skipped a day.  Wednesday I was supposed to do Cardio Powder & Resistance and Friday was supposed to be Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs.  I planned to make this up Friday, but, since I wasn't feeling well, I have changed my plans and hope to get it done this week - perhaps tomorrow.

Anyway, Saturday was my weekly weigh in day, but I never got around to posting it.  It turned out alright, however, as today was my second Fit Test.  Here are my results:

Weigh In

Arms - 12 (down 0.5")

Chest - 37 (down 1")

Waist - 41.5 (down 1")

Hips - 42 (down 1.5")

Thighs - 21 (down 0.1.5")

Weight - 169 (down 2.6)

BMI - 26.9 (down 0.4)

Fit Test

Switch Kicks - 58 (3 more)

Power Jacks - 32 (7 more)

Power Knees - 75 (20 more!)

Power Jumps - 10 (5 less)

Globe Jumps - 6 (1 more)

Suicide Jumps - 12 (3 more)

Push-Up Jacks - 25 (15 more!!)

Low Plank Obliques - 40 (10 less)

Now, you may ask, "But Hunter, aren't you bummed that you gained weight?"  My answer would be, "Yes, a little, but I know why."  There are actually a few reasons that I believe I gained weight this week.  One, would be my diet.  Since I've been feeling a little under the weather for the past week and a half, my diet has suffered as I've turned more to comfort foods rather than the healthy things I should be eating.  Instead of my 80/20 rule that I try to follow during the week, I've been munching on snacks and eating out more than I usually do simply for convenience.

Another, is because I've seen results, and my mind wants to tell me that I don't have to try as hard.  The little devil on my shoulder tells me that I should reward myself for my progress this far, and usually that involves sitting down to a Criminal Minds marathon, or going out to eat, or having that cupcake I've been eyeing.

The last reason, could be due to a gain in my lean muscle mass.  After all, I can't expect to do Insanity without gaining some muscle, can I?

So, this week, my encouragement won't be my weight loss, but rather that my clothes are fitting much looser (I can finally put my bras back on the tightest hook, my brand new jeans that fit when I bought them a week before I started Insanity are about to fall off, and I can tighten my belt two more notches.), the compliments I'm getting from my friends and family asking how much weight I've lost, and the results of my Fit Test.  Who would have thought I would have improved that much already?!

Tomorrow morning, I'm getting up and going for a run.  My husband is showing less interest in running with me, so it'll just be me and Harley out pounding the pavement.

Day 11: Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs

I'm really beginning to hate Pure Cardio..  I think it is the most difficult video so far in Insanity.  Today, I kept having to take a break because the kids needed attention.  In fact, I finally decided to start the video over again because I'd missed about half of the warm-up.  After that, they were distracted long enough to allow me to finish my first video.  My shins were really bothering me today, so I took it easy on some of the exercises, particularly the jumping ones.

Dripping sweat, it was now time for part two of today's workout, Cardio Abs.  For convenience, they're on the same DVD.  I was afraid I was about to be doing another 45 minute workout, but luckily, Cardio Abs is less than 20 minutes!  Here's how it goes:

• Jogging warm-up
• High Knees - this time, you hold your arms straight up in the air, which make this exercise 10x harder!
• High Knees w/Twist - Not fun!  I spent half of the exercise trying to get my rhythm down.
• Jump Rope - This aggravated my shins a little, so I tried to take it easy
• Tuck Jumps - Surprisingly, I could do these without my shins bothering me too bad!
• Wide Tuck Jumps - Again, I was surprised I could do these.
• C-Sit Position - This is the easiest part of the rest of this workout.
• Twists - a good ab warm-up.  If you do it long enough, it'll give you a nice ab workout.
• Twists w/Knee - this will light your abs on fire!  I had to take a break a couple of times, but tried to power through
• A-Frame Ab Twist - again, a nice little ab workout by itself.  After the constant ab workouts so far, I was feeling it.
• A-Frame w/Twist - These killed my abs!  I really enjoyed them, but I really enjoy ab work anyway.  It's one of my favorite workouts.
• Hold Center - I pushed through and held it the whole time!  I was really proud of myself.  
• Single Leg Raises - I was pleased to find I could do these alright.  I was really surprised by my core.
• Both Legs - This was killer!  I wasn't quite able to do these.  I think I got about 5, but I know my form wasn't the best either.
• High Plank
• High Plank Alt. Knees - You start out slow, then you add in a little jump between raising your knees to your side.
• Low Plank
• Low Plank Alt. Knees - At this point, my youngest thought I was trying to play and came to lay beside me on the floor.  I just held plank because I couldn't do this exercise without kneeing her in the head.
• Pulse Tucks - Low & High - I'm unable to do this exercise properly because it really hurts my lower back.  Maybe as I build up more core strength I'll be able to?

Then you do the cool down stretches.  I really enjoyed this video!  Core work is some of my favorite exercises to do.

Thanks for reading!  Weather permitting, I'll be posting about my morning run tomorrow.  If not, I'll see you Friday for Day 12!

C25K: Week 2 Day 1 & Walking

I had a great time getting out and running this morning!  I was afraid that after almost two months of not running, that I would have lost my progress and wouldn't be able to pick up where I left off.  I decided to back track a week and start from there, but I think that, thanks to Insanity, I could have picked up exactly where I'd left off!

For Week 2, you alternate 90 seconds of jogging with two minutes of walking for 20 minutes.  I did this with surprising ease!  I started to tire toward the end, however, so I think I made a wise decision by backing up a week to readjust to running.

According to Noom, I went for a total of 2.69 miles in 39 minutes with a pace of 14.27 min./mi. and burned a total of 340 calories.  According to Nike+ Running, I went 2.56 miles in 39 minutes with a pace of 15.07 min./mi. and burned a total of 277 calories.  Which is correct?  I'm not sure.  I think Noom is more correct on the calories because it's more personalized.  However, I think Nike+ Running is more correct about distance and time because I know the loop I run is about 2.5 miles.  Maybe there's something off with Noom's GPS signal.

Then, last night, my mom and I went for a walk that, according to Noom (I don't use Nike+ Running for walks because it's calculated for running), we walked 1.79 miles in 34 minutes with a pace of 18:55 min./mi. for a calorie burn of 161 for me.  Her Noom calculated over 200 calories burned for her personalized account.

Thanks for reading!  See you tomorrow for Insanity Day 11!

Follow me on Nike+ Running!  My username is hmlove1218

Day 10: Cardio Recovery

Yesterday, after my weigh in, I went out for a run for the first time in forever!  It felt great to be back out there and the dogs really enjoyed it.  My husband had Harley, the faster of our two dogs, and they were running ahead of me and Kimber because we're the slow runners.

Kimber was really excited to finally be back outside and had been pulling on the leash despite multiple corrections.  When my husband and Harley stopped for a water break, Kimber gave one good yank on the leash right as my foot was about to touch the ground and caused me to land wrong.  My ankle gave way and I hit my knees on the pavement.  After a few choice words directed at my four-legged running partner, I got up and finished my run, though we cut it half a mile short.

Anyway, over night, my ankle rested and felt better this morning, so I did my Insanity video.  Luckily it was Cardio Recovery which doesn't require all the crazy jumping around, so my ankle with have one more day to recover a bit.  My knees were scuffed up from falling, but they didn't give me any problems.

Today's workout was more of slow and controlled muscle work than the usual insane activities.  There were tons of slow leg and ab work such as squats, lunges, and leg lifts.  It took me about twice as long to complete the video as it should have, because I kept having to stop and take breaks to control my rowdy youngsters.  Maybe that's why today wasn't so difficult for me because I took longer breaks more often than the video works in.

Tomorrow will be an early morning, because this week is supposed to be sunny and warm so me and the hubby will be out running again.

See you tomorrow!

Is there anything you'd like to see me post more of?  Want recipes or meal updates?  Leave a comment below!

Weekly Weight In

I'm surprised at my measurements this week.  I didn't expect the results I had, but I'm quite happy that I got them.  I was able to wear a dress that I haven't felt comfortable wearing for almost two years now!  I can't wait to see how much more my body changes!

• Arms - 12" (down 0.5")
• Chest - 37" (down 1")
• Waist - 41.5" (down 1")
• Hips - 42" (down 1.5")
• Thighs - 21.75" (down 0.75")

• Weight - 168.2 lbs (down 3.4 lbs)
• BMI - 26.7 (down 0.6)

I wonder if the inconsistencies in my measurements each week are because of human error, or if it's an indication of muscle gain?  Food for thought.

See you Monday!

Day 9: Cardio Circuit

It took me a minute to figure out what this video was because I didn't have a DVD called Cardio Circuit like my calender stated.  I finally figured out that it is the Plyometric Cardio Circuit DVD.

My heart wasn't really in this today.  Maybe because I did it later than I usually do, maybe because I hadn't eaten much today, maybe because I was irritated by my children.  I don't know why, but I didn't have energy to do this today.  Between that and my children running around under me (have you ever tried doing push-ups with a 18 month old pushing a toy car around beneath you??), it took me over an hour to complete the 42 minute video.  I was constantly having to wait for my kids to move out of the way because I didn't want to step on any fingers or toes.  For some reason, today they simply wanted to be within 6 inches of me at all times while I was trying to do my workout.

I'm not even going to give a rundown of today's video because I feel like I didn't do half of it.  Tomorrow's my weigh-in day.  I don't expect to see the same kind of weight loss I've seen so far.  My diet at the beginning of the week wasn't that great as I've been out to eat several times.  I'm not even sure if I'll see any weight loss this week.  I hope I do, though.

See you tomorrow!

Day 8: Pure Cardio

Sorry this post is a day late.  Yesterday morning I overslept and I couldn't fit it in anywhere else in my day.  So now I have Insanity two days in a row!

Today was just as brutal as the first time I did this video.  "This sh*t is BA-nanas," as Shawn says - and it really is.  It's so intense that the co-hosts start dropping like flies about half way through the video.  If they wore mics, I can imagine that there would be many curse words flying through the air like missiles at Shawn.

• Suicide Drills - I started these going full blast.  By the end, I had slowed down to half of my original pace.
• Switch Kicks - I thought there were going to be three reps of these, so I did these easy and didn't jump.  After I finished them, I realized there weren't any repeated exercises in this video.  Oops..
• Wide Football Sprints - Easy enough.
• Stance Jacks - I did pretty well on these.  This is where I started to really tire, however, so I took a few breaks.
• Pedal - Sprinting a few seconds, jumping into one lunge on each side, and sprinting again.  I think I did alright.
• Hooks and Jump Rope - I couldn't keep up anymore and started doing it at my own pace.  I couldn't seem to get the hang of the jumps.
• Power Jacks - I was pretty exhausted at this point.  Today, I wore shorts during my workout and the feeling of my thighs rubbing together was pretty motivating to keep pushing.
• Level 2 Drills - These are fun.  I'm getting better at push-ups.  I still can't go all the way down, but I'm able to do them without going to my knees now!
• Frog Jumps - I was huffing and puffing at this point.  I think I got six sets (jump back, jump front) over the whole minute.
• Power Knees - Just like last time, it felt like someone replaced my shoes with lead weights.
• Mountain Climbers - I worked on picking my knees up higher.
• Ski Down - I love these!
• Scissor Runs - I think I finally figured out how to do these!  They're not terrible, but still not my favorite exercise.
• Suicide Jumps - Call me crazy, but these are one of my favorites!  I try to go a little slower than Shawn calls them, because I try to focus on keeping my butt down in the plank.
• Push-Up Jacks - I did five push-ups before I took a break in Down Dog pose.  I did three or four sets in the minute I had.

Needless to say, today wore me out!  See you tomorrow!

Day 7: Cardio Power & Resistance

I honestly felt like skipping Insanity today.  Time changed last night and it has left me dragging around all day.  I did my morning Happy Yoga video and I was this close to calling that enough for today.  But I know myself, I know my goals, and I know that if I procrastinate one day, I'll have an excuse for the next day, and the next, and the next.  I know this about myself.  This is actually the reason I picked up Insanity again.  Nasty weather was keeping me from being able to run (and still is..darn rain..), and I felt absolutely helpless about reaching my fitness goals.  I felt like the universe was against me, but I was determined to fight back and show the universe who's boss!

So I plugged in the video.  "Come on y'all!  'S-go!"  Shawn yells.  Oh boy, this is going to be a rough one, especially after my long weekend.  After the usual warm up and stretching routine, we got down to business.

• Power Jumps - I'm developing a love/hate relationship with these.  If I go slow and position my feet just right, I can get a few of these with "proper" form.
• Belt Kicks - Love them!  And I'm able to keep up with the group for once!
• Hit the Floor - Today, these gave me a challenge.  I didn't get very many of them done for some reason.
• V Push Ups - I figured out a rythem that works for me.  I would do 5 push-ups and then take a quick break.  I got about 3 reps of 5 done in each of the three rounds.
• Triceps Dips/ One-Legged Triceps Dips - I used the same method here as I did with V push-ups - 5 fast dips, short break.  Again, I got about 3 reps, except for the one-legged dips, I only got two reps on each side.
• Triceps Ball Push Ups - I think I figured out how to do these.  After all the triceps work from the last exercises, I only got two reps of 5.  My arms felt like floppy noodles!

After a short break came the second sets of exercises.  I was pretty worn out by the first sets, so I was very sluggish during these three rounds.

• Hurdle Jumps - I could not for the life of me keep up with the group!  Not to mention my feet were too heavy to get more than a few centimeters off of the ground.
• Globe Jumps - I don't know how many sets I got done each round.  I was moving very slowly, but I focused on my form instead of speed.
• Moving Push Ups - I can't do the moving part just yet, so I used my same technique as the first sets of exercises to do 5 really fast push ups and take a quick break.  I wasn't even on my knees!
• Floor Sprints - I have to really focus to keep my butt down.  I find that if I put my feet out just a little further than I feel is necessary, that it's easier to keep proper form.  I really pushed myself in the end and was sprinting so fast that I left a little lump in my carpet where my feet were hitting the ground.  Oops..
• 8 Hop Squats/8 Push Ups - Hop squats weren't too bad, it was the push-ups that really killed me.  I was exhausted by this point and was using my legs to help push myself up.  I guess I got in a bit of a calf workout as well!

Time to go get my protein shake!  I mix the vanilla flavored Muscle Pharm Combat in with 12 ounces of unsweetened vanilla almond milk.  Really tasty and filling, and only 175 calories!

No running tomorrow because of the weather and my family is making a trip out of town for a mini vacation, so I'll see you guys Wednesday!

Day 6: Plyometric Cardio Circuit

Today was back to Plyometric Cardio Circuit.  Apparently my shins have something against this video because, out of nowhere, they started aching again right before I put the disc in the DVD player..  Like the first time, I had to take it easy on the jumping.

Phase 1:  Warm Up
Same warm up as last time (jogging in place, jumping jacks, Heismans, Mummy Kicks, etc), but I jogged in place and sprinted through half of it while my shins warmed up and loosened - no jumping jacks, high knees, or butt kicks.

Phase 2:  Stretching
Same thing as just about every video.  I have a feeling I'll be able to do this stretching routine in my sleep by the end of Insanity (which will be around June 30th since I'm only doing three workouts a week instead of six).

Phase 3:  Workout Set 1
I pushed myself a bit harder this time around since my shins didn't hurt so bad this time and because I felt like my body was better prepared for the abuse.

• Suicide Drills - These were harder this time as I pushed myself to go faster.
• Powder Squats - I did okay with these.  The first round, I wasn't able to do the "power" part, so I just did regular squats.  By the third round, though, my shins had loosened up enough that I was able to jump.  My thighs were protesting by that time though!
• Mountain Climbers - For some reason, I couldn't get the right rhythm going today and felt awkward.
• Ski Jumps - Shawn tells several of his co-hosts to keep their feet together, however, I find that I get more of a leg workout with my feet about 6 inches apart.  This forces my thighs to work harder to push me up, because they don't have each other for support.
• Switch Feet - I still hate these and my shins refused to let me do them
• Football Sprints - I was able to do these today.  My feet refused to move very fast, however.

Phase 4:  Workout Set 2

• Basketball Jumps - My legs were already wobbly from the first round of exercises, but I pushed through and did these.  By now, my shins had loosened up quite a bit.
• Level 1 Drills - I congratulate myself for these.  I did push-ups as best as I could and didn't even go to my knees once (though I did skip a few rounds of the push-ups).  I forced myself to slow down when "running it out" and focus on keeping my butt down in the proper plank position.  Boy, did that kill my arms and abs!  After the third round, I was doing good just to be able to hold myself up.
• Ski Abs - These were killer when I focused on proper technique instead of speed.  I challenged myself to do one full round (right, back, left, back) before I could take put my knees down.  Third time round, I was barely able to do two sets.
• Jabs - I focused on speed and these killed my obliques.
• Cross Jacks - These hurt my shins, so I just skipped them.
• Uppercuts - Again, a killer oblique workout when you focus on speed and power.  I envisioned Shawn's hand as a target.
• Attack - Just like jabs and uppercuts, these work your obliques.  They're just like palm strikes in my martial arts training.  I focused on speed and power, targeting a spot on my wall.  By the time I finished, I actually had a small stitch in my side!

Phase 5:  Cool Down

Oh, thank God!  I barely even remember this I was so tired!

Tomorrow is my day to weigh in and take measurements.  Hopefully there will still be some improvement!  I'm not so concerned about the number on the scale, because I know I'm gaining muscle (and muscle weighs more than fat), but hopefully my measurements have continued to decrease!  I've also been seeing my HR slowly decrease as I'm doing Insanity.  Today I barely got over 165 bpm.  See you tomorrow!