Spent Sunday afternoon raking leaves and managed to snag 3 bagfuls from the front yard. Too bad we don’t have a compost bin to utilize the debris…though I may have found some 3×3 wire bins on AceHardware.com. The man started hacking down the photinia. The plan is to install a bed where it currently sits and perhaps put up a barrier on the other side of the chain link fence. Preference for plants would be any shrub that isn’t established too close to the fence. The black spot-ridden photinia was an aggressive grower that grew through the links of the fence.
All posts by epicureasian
I got new shoes
Last time I uttered those words, I referred to some 5″ inch-heeled pumps. This time, I’m referring to a pair of black/silver Skechers Resistance Runners (SRR Resistor). I discovered that my holey Saucony sneakers finally had to go…so I took off to Grapevine Mills Mall on Saturday for an hour-long search for the perfect walking/cardio shoe. Shopping for shoes had becomewas a challenge, since I couldn’t really find something that really grabbed me–and I wasn’t prepared to spend $130 on a pair of Asics gel running shoes that I “kinda” liked. Thankfully, I ended my search at the Skechers store and found not just a perfect-wearing pair of exercise shoes, but also a cute pair of outdoor-active flats.
Sunday started with a Mediterranean buffet but ended into a productive afternoon spent raking leaves. While I limited myself to one plate heaped with gyro meat, shish tawook and roasted cauliflower, I’m fairly certain that I didn’t work nearly enough to burn off those calories.
Of course, I got stuck doing some late night computer work Sunday night, which only gave me 4 hours of sleep before heading out to the morning kickboxing session. Luckily I wasn’t as tired as I thought as I was, but those undereye dark circles were telling.
Something I plan to work on more this week are those ab twists. While I’ve been focusing on crunches and planks, I haven’t focused on ab flexibility; thus I had some serious side stiches while doing alternating ab bicycle crunches.
I also am looking into getting a heart rate monitor; I’m beginning to think that the MFP presets really aren’t giving me an accurate picture of how many calories I’m burning per activity. I have read that HRMs are an invaluable tool in getting results. So I have narrowed down the field between a Polar FT60 and a Suunto t4d, with the Polar HRM currently winning the vote due to an attractive Amazon price of ~$140. Now to scrape up the funding to afford it…
]]>Seeing Green
Worked up to green bands today! Whoop! Baby steps, of course. I definitely couldn’t do extensions on them but I tried pushing the envelope when my flabby arms would allow. Some of the overhead extensions worked with green bands. And we also got to use band and rod today…though I had assembled mine with a yellow band and didn’t get the benefit of any burning sensation.
Well, I definitely plan on making up for it with some jumping jacks and crunches this evening. Flat belly, flat belly, flat belly…work it!
The goal is 100 each of jacks and crunches, and maybe I’ll wrestle out that band set that’s been gathering dust.
]]>Sleepy Sunny January Mornings
Spring to summer seed packets
I stopped by North Haven Gardens this weekend to pick up some seeds. It was very difficult to resist picking up their 50% off sale on spring bulbs! I can’t wait to outdoor sow them! The rains this past weekend has made the ground damp enough for me to put down some violas into the door strip bed.
Also: picked up some cat grass seed for the kitty; he’s taken a huge interest in the ginger plants I have parked by the door.


