Day 25 - Cardio Recovery

I was going to do Cardio abs in addition to Cardio Recovery today but I am dealing with a sick dog and found myself short on time.  Therefore, I am sticking to the schedule and only did Cardio Recovery today and will do Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs tomorrow.

I've made it known that I really don't like Cardio Recovery but it really wasn't that bad today.  I guess I am getting more out of it as I get stronger.  I still can't hold a lot of the holding poses for as long as Shaun would like but I hold them as long as I am able.  It's kind of a pity that I am finding this routine tolerable now that I won't have to do it again.  I'm not looking forward to its equivalent in month two!  Anyway, Cardio Recovery served it's purpose and my muscles all feel super relaxed right now.

I must go attend to my poor little doggie now.  The poor girl has an upset stomach and there isn't much I can do for her, which really sucks.

Day 18 - Cardio Recovery

These are my dogs:

Gruff and Sadie

They are pretty cool but can be a total pain in the ass during workouts.  They tend to walk directly beneath me when I'm mid jump or sit down behind me as I'm about to kick my legs back.  Today Gruff rolled a tennis ball underneath me in an attempt to kill me.  When they aren't endangering them or me they are shedding like mad.  When I come up from plank position with some sweaty hands, I will be wearing a glove of loose dog fur.  I still spoil them to death, though.

Lets change the subject!  Have I mentioned that I don't really care for the Cardio Recovery days?  The lack of intensity makes it a loooong 33 minutes.  Plus, I'm still a weakling so a lot of the poses are absolute misery.  I am getting better, though.  I noticed today that I am a lot more flexible.  One thing I need to work on is breathing.  I caught myself holding my breath during some of the poses. 

Lets change the subject again!  As I was changing for the workout I glanced in the mirror and did a double take because my abs looked very odd and misshapen.  A muscle!  30 years on this beautiful planet and I have just became the proud owner of an ab muscle.  I admired it in the mirror for a good 20 minutes.

If the Mayans were wrong, I'll be back tomorrow for some Cardio Power & Resistance!

Day 11 - Cardio Recovery

Hola!  The company Christmas party I went to last night was in Ballard.  If you are not familiar with Seattle, Ballard is a neighborhood in the northwest part of the city.  Seattleites will find any opportunity they can to rave about how much they love it.  I live in the suburbs and do not share this sentiment.  It is a bitch to get to, parking sucks and as far as I can tell, it really has nothing to offer that you can't find in a more accessible neighborhood (other than my friend's restaurant that you should totally go to if you find yourself in the area).  Anyway, aside from it taking 20 minutes to get there from I5 and another 10 minutes to find parking, the party was pretty enjoyable.  However, Xmas parties and fitness programs are like oil and water.  I will not refuse a $9 Manhattan and a big IPA that I do not have to pay for.  I will not refuse buffalo chicken wings that I do not have to pay for.  I will not refuse fried pickles that I do not have to pay for.  Needless to say, I went way over my caloric limit for the day.  Now I am faced with a dilemma.  Do I shave off some calories each day for the rest of the week or do I just consider last night a mulligan?

One thing is for sure: I did not burn off the extra calories with today's workout.  While it is still a workout there really isn't any cardio.  I really hated this one the first time I did it but today I felt much better and much stronger.  Progress!  I'm sure by the time I am actually comfortable with it I'll be switch to the second month start back at square one.  Such pessimism!

Tomorrow: Cardio Power & Resistance