Day 30 and a bit of irony.

30 days + at least 30 minutes a day of activity = YAHOOOOO!  

Today's workout was a mixture of things... started on my regular elliptical machine... did 1.25 miles and my calf muscles were feeling it, aftereffects of yesterday's zumba, so decided to try the other kind of elliptical machine to see if a slight change in angle would offer relief... but after a few minutes it didn't... so in all that was about 20 minutes of cardio... not enough... so I got on the bike and did 25 minutes... then.. it was time for arms.  By the way, I have to share this picture: 

Ok... this is a picture of the first lady I had posted on my facebook page, as my inspiration for my arm workouts.  When I do my weights with my arms I think about Mrs. Obama's arms... and one of my coworkers got creative and photo-shopped me into it.  Clever? Yes. Creepy? Yes!  Entertaining? Definitely.  My arm workout today included using some of the weight machines that I am not used to.  I did a couple of things before heading upstairs where I use free weights... Once upstairs I started out with dips... trying to work those triceps... then I lay on one of those balance/exercise balls as I do chest presses/bench press type moves.. I find doing it on the ball is a lot more comfortable and safe for my back than the regular weight bench.  Then I use free weights to do what I am going to call "The Hannahs." The Hannahs are inspired by one of my former track kids.  She is not a Division I athlete and when I saw her working out at the gym over her winter break I watched what she was doing...(Because her arms could compete with Mrs. Obama!)  She used heavier weights than I will probably ever use, but the motion is what I was after.  Hmmm... how to explain... ok... I stand, hands at my side while holding dumbbells... slowly raise my arms forward palms towards the floor keeping my arms straight...parallel with the floor... then back down... then back up... then bend arms to pull weights into my chest and then push them back out straight, then lower them to my sides again, then lift arms straight out to the side making my arms parallel to the floor (I call that the pterodactyl move, and yes make a sound effect in my head!)  That counts as 1repetition!  I do three sets of 5 reps, for now... using only 7 pound weights.  Hannah used like 20-25 pound weights.  She is my hero!  I want to increase to 3 sets of 8, then 3 sets of 10, then 3 sets of 12... then I want to increase the weight... but... it will take a while... I could perhaps get there sooner if I do that as my first arm exercise of the day... but want to make sure I am doing them with good form, especially for my back, and know when my arms are tired my form suffers which will lead to bad back position which will lead to pain.  I feel like I am at a point where I am pushing myself, and I like that.  That athlete I mentioned a few posts ago... she is excited... and is ready for more.  In thinking ahead... Spring is 49 days and 22 or so hours away... but whose counting, right?  (Me that's who!)  I know that once temps are consistently warmer I am going to want to be in my kayak in the afternoons, after work... and don't want that to count as my 30 minutes of activity each day.  Yes it is activity, but... I know from last summer it is not enough to get/keep me healthy... so this athlete in me is thinking about really trying to workout in the mornings... but need some time to wrap my head around getting up so early... I used to do it... and can do it again... and there was this nice piece of eye candy there... who used to go every morning... I remember him... Ha! 

Ok... so then a weird thing happened today.  I got an email from Woodsprite Orchids... a small orchid business not too far from here.  Apparently when I bought the orchid when I was with Matt I had given them my email address.  I had forgotten that.  Well.. they are selling their business, wanting to move to New Mexico and want to clear out their inventory.  They are having a sale, 60% off everything... which is a pretty good sale.  So I got the email and without thinking, hit the forward button... and typed in Matt's email address... and then I stopped myself... Why would I forward this to him? So I stopped... and thought... because he loves orchids... because one day he hoped (or at least he told me he hoped, but perhaps that was another non-truth) to be able to grow orchids, perhaps like he and his dad had done... and maybe have it be part of a business.   So I typed a message, something like, Got this link form the orchid place we went to, didn't know if you were in a place where you were looking to buy several plants or starting a business so am forwarding it to you.  I debated hitting the send button... not wanting him to read anything into it besides just getting a forwarded email... and decided that was irrelevant to me.  And for me... it's kind of a sign that I have forgiven him... 

And then there is a piece of irony... he was, or I should say, claimed to be Mr. Christianity.  Today I was ordained... as a minister! Seriously? Seriously.  I can now perform marriages, baptisms, and can start my own church.  What did I have to do to become ordained, to be given this kind of... power? Complete an online form, name, date of birth, address... and pay $6.99 plus shipping and handling for my official Ordained Minister Certificate.  With all that training, I now understand why church-goers put so much faith in their ministers. (Was that sarcasm?)  

Interesting, huh?  

Blessed Be.