Katinka

Yay! Congrats on the championship game! It must be so awesome to get to hang out with other women who kick ass as much as you do And I'm totally with you on the weather/mood/motivation thing. Just remember, summer is coming, and that means lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and having fun OUTSIDE. By the end of the next challenge, we'll be wearing tank tops and snacking on fresh strawberries while hiking (yes, all three at once.)

WEEK 3 REVIEW: Consistency: C M: Strength+Cardio T: Rest W: Strength + Zumba R: Running F: Strength + Cardio S: Rest S: Rest Cardio: A+ 5/8 post-strength training cardio workouts complete. 4 potential opportunities for this left in the challenge; only 3 needed. Kickstart: set aside. Need to continue discussing with my husband, outside the framework of this challenge. Engage: F 0/1 hours for week, 2.58/6 hours for challenge PLP Challenge (3/16-5/14): Completed 7 consecutive days, but stopped due to a weird pain the back of my head/neck that might be from pullups. I'm really getting tired of random problems I've been dealing with since January I need to find a way to make this a part of my next challenge, though. Even in one week I was able to see and feel noticeable improvement in my pullups and pushups.

Weighed in yesterday at 151.6 for no apparent reason, other than losing the bloat of shark week I guess? I may be confused, but I feel great, so just gonna keep on keeping on. This PLP challenge is both addicting and kicking my ass - 5 days down, 55 to go! Consistency: Monday - Strength + Cardio Tuesday: Rest Wednesday: Strength + Zumba Thursday: Run Cardio: 4/8 post-strength training cardio workouts complete. Engage: 0/1 hours for week, 2.58/6 hours for challenge PLP Challenge (3/16-5/14): Day 4 Pullups: 4 (2/1/1) (red + yellow assistance band) Lunges: 14 Pushups: 14 Day 5 Pullups: 5 (2/2/1) (red + yellow assistance band) Lunges: 15 Pushups: 15

Speaking of eggs and microwaves and vegetables, have you seen the Epic Protein Frittata recipe from the recipe thread? I've made it the last two Sundays and then just microwaved a portion for breakfast every morning. Since my husband won't eat it (scary green things!) I just make half the vegetables and cover it with 10 whole eggs. So. Damn. Good.

Dealt with all sorts of shark week blah-ness last night, but still got in my PLP challenge for the day. I like having a "little" goal for each day that I can still fulfill without having to do a whole lot. PLP Challenge Day 3: Pullups 3 (2/1) (red + yellow assistance band) Lunges: 13 Pushups: 13 I was excited to string two pullups into a set (yes, I'm really out of practice), and that I could still do all of the pushups in a single set. I'm curious to see at what point I'll need to break them up into 2 sets - I feel like I could maybe eek out 20 or so right now if I absolutely had to, but hopefully by the time I reach 20 (on day 10) I'll have worked up a little extra strength, and stay ahead of that curve. For me, half the battle with both pullups and pushups isn't the strength itself so much as remembering which muscles to engage throughout the exercise. Once I learn how to do a great pullup or pushup, and feel those muscles on a regular basis, it becomes much easier very quickly.

I had never thought of putting vinegar into my tuna salads until I read the firecracker tuna recipe by The Clothes Make the Girl. Seriously, it will change your life.

Mid-challenge weigh in yesterday at 153.0. I'm down 0.4 for the challenge, and considering that during week 2 I spiked to 155.5 (I still have no idea why) - not too shabby! I did night 2 of the PLP challenge yesterday. This is going to be quite a challenge, I've lost far more upper body strength than I thought. I'm using both my yellow and red bands together, now, and the 2 pullups had to be done as 2 sets . I added in an extra rep for pushups and lunges so that all of my sets end with the same number. I also did a strength + cardio workout yesterday - 4 to go! Consistency: Monday - Strength + Cardio Cardio: 4/8 post-strength training cardio workouts complete. Engage: 0/1 hours for week, 2.58/6 hours for challenge PLP Challenge (3/16-5/14): Day 2 Pullups: 2 (1/1) (red + yellow assistance band) Lunges: 12 Pushups: 12

First off, you put last week up because you do care. A real failure would be not putting it up, and pretending it didn't happen. Second, you completed one goal and exceeded another. That's a great week! As far as eating, remember how much progress you've made. Was this a bad week in the context of March, 2014? Sure. Now compare this past week to a typical week in March 2010. Totally different, right? (Side note: I made popcorn yesterday the way I used to make it in high school, in a pan. I ate half of it and then felt sick. I used to make twice as much, eat all of it, and then look for what to eat next. As a snack.) Focus on what makes you feel great, and use that happiness to push yourself a little harder in the other areas, and it will all come together

omg I need outdoor workouts so badly right now...I got out and ran a few afternoons last week, but today it SNOWED. There actually isn't any snow at work, but there was a few inches at my house this morning so I didn't bring my stuff to go to the park at lunch. I've set an alarm on my phone for 5:30 so I dont' forget to do day 2 tonight!

WEEK 3 REVIEW: Consistency: A- M: Running T: Gardening W: Strength + Zumba R: Rest F: Running S: Zumba + Gardening S: Running Cardio: C 3/8 post-strength training cardio workouts complete. Focused on running last week, so I skipped a few strength workouts, but that meant I couldn't add in cardio to my strength...but yay for more cardio? Either way, I have 6 more planned strength workouts that would count towards this challenge, and I only need to add in Cardio after 5 to make it to my goal. Still going to happen! Kickstart: set aside. Need to continue discussing with my husband, outside the framework of this challenge. Engage: A+ 1/1 hours for week, 2.58/6 hours for challenge PLP Challenge (3/16-5/14): Starting data complete! Pullups: 1 (red assistance band) Lunges: 10 Pushups: 10

I'm starting the 60 plp challenge after reading Steve's article from yesterday. I can't do unassisted pullups anymore (sad) because I stopped doing them, but I have 2 bands that I use for assisted pullups. I haven't used those in a long time either, so this weekend I'll assess whether I should start with 10 reps of the heavier band, or 1 rep at the lighter resistance. Pushups are also something I want to work up to again. During my first NF challenge I worked my way up to 25 in a set; now I can only do about 12-15. These I'll definitely start at 10 reps each; same thing with lunges. I also want to get out of the office at lunch more, so I'm thinking of throwing the resistance bands in my car and heading over to a nearby park to do this each day at lunch. If the weather is bad, I can always do them at the gym or at home.

Homemade mayo! http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2010/06/03/the-secret-to-homemade-mayo-patience/ Salsa, shredded vegetables, anything you'd have to spend a lot of time grating, dips, soups....I wouldn't say there are specific recipes for food processors, but you'll find that it takes a lot of the time out of other stuff.

I've been awfully quite during this challenge, but I haven't really picked the most interesting goals to talk about. I lost the first of 2 flash pounds that randomly showed up during week 1 so that's good news Also, it's finally NOT snowing outside! I started up running again last Sunday, and while my pace is super slow compared to last fall, my endurance is still good. I'm having no problem running 3 miles at a time; the problem is that they're all 10:30 miles (I was consistently below 30 minutes for 3.1 miles back in November.) I signed up for my first 5k of the year already, but it isn't until August so I have plenty of time to get back up to speed. I'm hoping to complete at least 1 5k this year at 28:00. I also give myself major props for surviving my husband's weekend of boardgaming with his friends - that meant cookies, chips, pizza, and all sorts of soda in my house all weekend. I did indulge a few times, but nothing that derailed my progress. Consistency: M: Running T: Rest Day/ Gardening (moved 15 40-lb bags of topsoil; lots of other dirt-moving as well) W: Strength and Zumba Cardio: 3/8 post-strength training cardio workouts complete. Kickstart: This one has gotten difficult. My dad (a lawyer) pointed out that I ought to have insurance now that I own a house and have a savings account, in case someone tries to sue me for ruining their wedding or whatever. Problem is, the insurance costs more than I make in a typical year from playing weddings. And now I'm sad, and getting angry about my family, and ugh emotions and anxiety. Blergh. Engage: C 0.5/1 hours for week, 2.08/6 hours for challenge I worked with some machines at the gym yesterday, which I don't typically do, but I've wanted to learn as a backup for some of my I-don't-feel-like-thinking days. I think I dismissed them a little too soon - I'd say they kicked my ass, but it was really the upper body where I struggled! I've known for a while that my upper body strength isn't as great as my lower body, even when you take into account that women tend to have weaker upper bodies, but this was borderline pathetic. It's kind of exciting to start from the very beginning at some of these, though - definitely easier to measure progress!

I know you are in pain and it is not supposed to be funny, but from now on, whenever this happens to me, I'm going to think of it as a pickle injury I <3 pickles, but only the kind you eat, not the kind in your joints. Anyway, I seriously think the weather is messing with my joints this year, maybe you're going through the same thing. But it looks like spring might finally show up sometime soon, and all good things happen then! Fresh produce, hiking, outdoor runs, gardening - hooray for vitamin D!

WEEK 2 REVIEW: Consistency: B+ M: Strength T: Rest Day W: Strength R: Rest F: Strength + cardio S: Skiing S: Running Cardio: A 3/8 post-strength training cardio workouts complete. Kickstart: F Nothing yet - dealing with other issues here (the possible need for entertainment insurance vs how much I would actually make in a year ) Engage: C 0.75/1 hours for week, 1.58/6 hours for challenge Not my most spectacular week ever. Working on listening to my body (taking an extra rest day) with pushing my body harder (not taking an extra rest day just because of stupid DST)