And This Is What I Get!

This morning, co-founder Elizabeth joined me for my 2 minute walk/1 minute run cardio workout. We had set the time to meet at 6:30. However, at 6:00 AM I received the following poem via email:

get your a*s up out of bed
it is feeling a little like lead
if you don't know pry your eyes open
the walk will be over and you will be lope-n

donuts su*k
pizza rules
coffee is needed
but the kids need to go back to school

I have a new couch
coming today
hurry let's exercise
hip hip hooray

wait, the sun is out too
I'm turning on the pool
the heater, the filter,
isn't that cool.

so wake up sleepy head
I know the walk, you do dread
but get up and let's run
and much needed fun.

How's that for support and motivation? Thanks Elizabeth - here's what I have to say:

(To the tune of hickory dickory dock)

It’s a beautiful day – HORRAY!
The sun came out today
We went for a run
Our workout is done
And now we can go out and play!

The Daily Challenge of a Workout (Debbie's Post)

During the Founder's Fitness Challenge at Best Ever You, we are all trying to make a change in our lifestyle, or at least in the way we think about food and exercise. Somedays that is more of a challenge than others.

Let me share with you how the last two days have for me maybe you'll understand why slicing in the 30+ minutes of exercise has been difficult for this FITNESS CHALLENGE candidate.

MONDAY - July 6. I got up at 7 so I could go out perform my new fav cardio workout - the 2 minute walk/1 minute run combo for 30 minutes. Had socks and shoes on. But first, I wanted call the vet because Prozac Kitty (yes I have a cat on prozac), managed to get in a cat fight and rip open his side. No blood, just a huge deep gash in his side. So, call vet at 7:30 to get their hours and much to my surprise, they were already open. "Bring him right in".

Great for prozac kitty. Not so great for my walk/run cardio workout.

Get to the vet - end up there for almost 90 minutes due to shots, staples in his side, and the general "wait". By the time I got home (almost $200 in the whole) it was time to bring my son to Tennis lessons. GREAT! I thought ... I'll run the track while he has tennis.

Since we had all that rain in June, this was the FIRST tennis lesson - so the teacher had the parents around at first to explain about the program. By the time she was done, there was barely enough time to walk over and back to the track, never mind the 30 minute workout.

Great for my son - cuz he got to have me watch. Not so great for the walk/run cardio workout.

By the time we got home from tennis, the tennage daughter had grand plans of going to the beach. I wanted to make sure my kids at least had some time outside playing in the sun, so we compromised and went "upta camp" (as we Maine-iacs say) for a couple hour swim. I thought "I can walk/run around the lake for 30 minutes". But when friends called, I inivited them to bring their kids to the camp to.

Great for the kids. Not so great for my walk/run cardio workout.

By the time we got home I had to go straight to an appointment that went from 1:30 - 3:30. It was a massage and chiropractic appointment. It is my stress management and management for my severe cervical stenosis. My neck felt GREAT after leaving The Wellness Solution (which is also my fitness challenge sponsor.)

Great for my neck. Not so great for my walk/run cardio workout.

I immediately rushed home to get my equestrian enthusiast of a daughter (who is a competetive rider) to the barn so she could work out with the horse. At this point, it was after 4 PM and I figured I needed to actually get some WORK done (after all, I am a small business owner). So I took this time at the barn to get a little done.

Good for my clients. Good for the equestrian enthusiast. Not so great for my walk/run cardio workout.

By the time we got home, I was exhausted from running around all day and decided to just call it a day and try again on Tuesday. I figured Monday was just not meant to be my workout day this week.

TUESDAY - July 7. I have been very excited about trying the 6:30 AM Zumba class at The Wellness Solution. So I got up at 5:45 to have a cup of java before heading down 5 miles to The Wellenss Solution. I left my house at 6:15 - should be plenty of time ... or so I thought.

Have you ever seen a train that takes 15 minutes to pass because it's so long? It's happened to me twice. This was the second longest train I've ever seen. I arrived at the track just as the engines were passing at 6:18 ... and it didn't complete until 6:30 on the nose. That was the time my class was suppose to start. And I was only a mile from home.

I turned around and went home.

HOWEVER, I parked the car. Got my stop watch, and finally completed the walk/run cardio workout that I tried so desperately to get in on Monday.

My point?

I don't think I have one. Other than we all face challenges every day. Just like all of us that are parrticipating in the Best Ever You Founder's Fitness Challenge, we do the best we can with what we are given. Sometimes that means making adjustments at the last minute. But you know what? We're doing more than we did before the challenge started. We are making the effort. And that, in itself, is commendable.

KEEP IT UP to keep the weight down!

Meanwhile, Back at Home, Dinner has exploded

Meanwhile, Back at Home, Dinner has exploded

I'm in my 8th week of the Founder Fitness Challenge. July 1st, marks the day where I go on my quest to lose the next 10 pounds. I've successfully taken off and kept off 14 pounds now.

Last night was my night to tap dance for 2 hours at Maine State Ballet. So, before I left, I made chicken parm. and put it in the oven. Kissed everyone good-bye and out the door I went to classes.

Maine State Ballet tap dancing classes are quite a work out! They have sponsored me 2 hours of tap dancing lessons per week as one of the sponsors of the Founder Fitness Challenge. I've successfully lost 14 pounds now and kept it off and will start at Snap Fitness today as well.

As for the tap classes though, I am absolutely having a blast! This is a photo of the participants in last night's adult beginner classe with instructor John Miele (front row, left). I take this class to warm up along with some of the other more experienced dancers.




Last night our master level class was taught by Elizabeth Maxwell Caprio and her daughter Ashley Caprio. They are on their way from Clearwater, Florida to New York where Ashley will compete in the Tap Kids Summer Intensive. Ashley will tap all week long (she could probably do this non-stop with no sleep actually) and then audition to be in the final show. John Miele from Maine State Ballet, taught the mom, Elizabeth Maxwell how to tap when she was younger, so it was a treat to have her home again.


So class was a blast and at the end we got to see Ashley's performance. I was so mezmerized during it, I forgot to take pictures. So I politely asked her if she could jump over and stand on the chair again. She agreed. So this is a part of her routine where she tap dances over a chair and ends up sitting in it (somehow)


and then this is her incorporating some on the chair off the chair steps






and this is me looking for that chair with great envy..to sit down in.


So class is over. I spent some time talking with our visitors and meeting the owner of Fabu, Nancy Flagg, and I headed home.


I walked in the door at home and my little one exclaims, "Dad blew up dinner!!!" I learn that dinner will be crunchy tonight (no we didn't really eat it) and dad has exploded the chicken parm in the oven pyrex and all. I guess he added cold spaghetti sauce to it midway through and ka-boom it went.


There was no evidence when I got home, other than little man ratting dad out. Hubby had the shop-vac out and everything.

THIS IS BLOG HIJACK!!

THIS IS BLOG HIJACK!!

WARNING: Elizabeth Hamilton is sly and clever. There I am minding my own business, answering e-mails and merrily eating Whoopie Pies. I answered just a few questions from Elizabeth and the next thing I know – I’m in some sort of diet program, I’ve sworn off Whoopie Pies, and I’ve lost 6 pounds! And I now have something called “thin pants” as a goal?? As I look back at this – I NEVER SIGNED UP FOR THIS!! WTF??? How did she do this?

If you are reading this – Beware of one Elizabeth Hamilton! She may have alias names, like Guarino and Lisa. She gets into your head fast and you will lose weight.

Beware of the blond........................LOL