Polar Watch F6 -- LOVE IT

Yesterday was my birthday. 37. I trained today with Melissa/'Millian'. I appreciate her. She keeps leading me to the fitness world were I am learning so much.

She introduced me to the Polar Watch. I have been researching them online. The Heart Monitor System can track my heart rate / calorie count / workout time / and store them for me for future review.

I found some retailers in St Louis, so my husband took me there to find one for my birthday. My parents gave me $100 gift card, and I planned to use it for the watch.

Sports Authority in St Louis, had the watch on sale for $99. Perfect! I bought it. and some work out clothes and sports bras and swimsuit for my new swimmer, Faithe, and fitness stuff. Had it been softball season, my Brooke, 15, would have cleaned house there. She is a softball player!! She is so fit, like her dad. Her arms are solid. We visited some other outdoor stores to look at hiking stuff because you know I am hiking in 2010 the Never Summer Mountains in CO!

So, today, I put on my watch and work out clothes after church and met with Melissa/Millian to train. We set up the watch for my body weight and such and away we went.

187!! my heart rate soared to 187! no wonder I could not breathe! stayed at 187 forever!

Now the Polar Watch has an alarm on it. so when I am over my target heart rate it beeps at me.

within 10 minutes I am beeping and beeping and beeping. She is pushing me along this work out and I am so out of breath, I just push my wrist in her face and say, "It is BEEPING at you!!"

"Laurie," her reply, "the beep does not bother me, I know how to turn the alarm off. Keep moving. Punch it out."

yeah, I am going to punch something alright! !!

When the workout it over, and I need a stretcher, I look at the watch 580 calories burned! 580 calories. How encouraging . Yep, I like this watch .... Go Polar

becoming a fit family!

Week 7 workouts were so much better. I was ready. I was good. I hit that weight, and walked, and worked!

I am flipping that tire. over and over! Tim timed me today, I am faster, stronger. Then he had me do some exercise that he created. Now, I know he has a Masters Degree in this ... but where he learned some of these exercises is beyond me.

My hamstrings are worn today and stretched. That is good. I have been trying to get this one exercise form down correctly for the past three weeks. I knew my form was wrong because the targeted muscle was not 'feeling' it nearly like it should. He has me hold the bar, with weights, in front of me, and swoop the fanny outward without bending the knee. My fanny is already swooped outward! I ate it that way ... today I got the exercise though ... or it got me .. which ever, and am sore a bit.

The littlest Bennett girl, our daughter Faithe, 11, started swim training today. It seems that she wants her sport as well. The area swim team begins competition in early spring 2010, but Faithe is in prep work now. She asked to get stroke help and get trained.

This is a big deal for me. Being a mom, I want the best for out three girls. I want to train correctly. 'Train the child in the way he should go,' the Bible says.

My daughters are old enough 18, 15, 11. that I know I have passed some of my terrible eating habits to them. It breaks my heart to think I have caused to them struggle with themselves or not treating their body correctly.

However, when I see them, start to themselves want better for themselves, in spite of me, I glow with joy.

So Faithe trains with her swimming coach today. and swims, and swims, and swims .. and loves it. And then Faithe knows to eat a healthy protein afterward to revive her body.

I am thankful to the Lord for hope and for taking what I did not intend to teach the girls and make it for good ...

Week 7

The scale is moving down a bit. Got my first comment from someone that I had not seen in a while about "Laurie, have you lost weight." and it is only Monday! good bye week 6!

Week 6 -- conquered me ... Week 7 .. brighter.

It is my birthday week. I turn 37 on Saturday. 37 is my favorite number. It means 'Word of God'.

There is no kick boxing this week because it is labor day today. I am going to walk.

My focus has returned. My mind is clearer. YEAH!

We will see what this week brings...

Whoa horses ....

Tim, trainer-dude, was so helpful during this 'roller coaster of Laurie-ness'.

I did work out with Tim on Tuesday and Wednesday. He talked a lot, I listened more. I pulled the weights, he gave me advice and training. Here is what we decided .... Thursday, I would take a slow walk .. no more ... Friday, and rest. I would eat whatever I wanted when I went to dinner with my cousins/girlfriends. Saturday, I would not work out with Melissa/Millian' but would rest. Sunday, I would rest more. Monday I would kick box.

Well the rest proved two things. I needed a rest. and if I am not working out, I eat way off my charted list!

Eating ..... my nemesis ..... now, granted my eating has improved 90% since training started. For sure. I am not a binge-r. anymore. But permission to cheat ... and I am going to cheat...

Saturday, went to a Cardinals baseball game with my man, and our daughter and her guy. Cheated. Funnel Cake .... 1/2 ... Brian and I split it. BLT for dinner at a cute little local sandwich place by the stadium. Soft drink ... Peanuts or two or three ...

Cardinals lost and I overate.

And then I overate on Sunday too. After church, my husband Brian made his homemade chicken nachos so we could watch the Chief preseason football game. Chiefs lost ...again and I overate .. Now, to defend my self, or justify, or reason, or whatever, I did not eat nearly what I normally would have eaten. No way. But was it Trainer approved? Probably not.

Thank goodness tomorrow is Monday!

rock bottom

Last night was kick boxing. I was dreading it all day. Not sure how I would do after Saturday's break down at the gym ...

Did not do good. The work out was good, but I felt so fatigued. Could not concentrate. Could not flow. Could not function.

Left there, drove straight to Tim, trainer-dude's desk, in tears. 'HELP me ... I am slipping!!!!'

In his office I looked on his book shelves .. all books about training athletes. No books on fat girl struggle. He looked at my frantic face, unsure what to do and said come back in the morning and we will discuss this. Regular work out time. 8 AM.

Went by the library, searching for a book. I am normally the first to reach for my bible to find my hope, I had already poured over pages looking for what the Lord says. "You will run and not faint." Isaiah 40. " "Self Control brings perseverance" Corinthians. Paul wrote, "Grace is sufficient for you in your weakness." The scriptures poured through my head. I was searching for something that read like ....'this is what you do when you are about to give up on your plan ...'

What I picked up was Lance Armstrong's book. Brought it home.

However, when I got home, we had no water as the well pump was busted and so at 8 PM, I took the girls and drove back into town to stay with mom and dad for the night.

I talked to dad and mom about where I was. They encouraged. refreshed.

Read the Lance Armstrong chapter on mind games..... could identify greatly. Felt a huge sigh come out of me ... and then tomorrow 8 AM, I felt that my inspiration from the Bible and my identification with my mind game, I could work out.

and I did.

I fall ... I am ready to give up.

Last night, was cooler than most nights. I pulled out some jeans that I have not had on since early this year. TIGHT. They are tight. Not good. I feel frumpy. Week six and the jeans from last winter are tight. My physc-y in not taking this well.

Today at noon, was work out day with Melissa, (my Millian, my trainer-dude's sister).

Today, I crashed.

I could feel the tears burning in my eyes. I swallowed hard again. I blink. I hate my weakness.

During ab work, reaching 20 crunches, the ab pain is there. and so are the tears. Here they come.

She stops me and gets eye level. Compassion in her eyes. Fear in mine. I just cry. and cry. and cry. I am weak today. I am not doing this well. This is not working. The scale is not moving. I cry more and more.

Tim, the trainer-dude comes from his office, and has empathy to me. Encourages me to keep going.

We go on. We move to leg work. Step up, step down. Step up and step down. Then she pulls out the stop watch. "Let's time this." ... I no more get one set done and the tears flow again. My legs are worn. I am tired. I am exhausted. I want to give up. First time in this new work out adventure, I am ready to cave.

Tim comes again from his office and sits by me. I feel weak again! All the excuses come pouring out of me. All my justifications are voiced. All my reasons are explained.

He is not surprised. I did not catch him off guard. Week Six . Week six does this to people. Week six is the valley week. I did not know any of this. He sits by me and explains week six and how this is all normal. Tells me that I will look back on this day and reflect where I have come from. He encouraged me, his sister was comforting me. I was ready to flee! I hate my weakness. I hate what he and his sister just witnessed from me.

I leave the gym, get into the car and call my man. Tears again. He was out of town. Would not be home for a couple of hours. My daughters were all gone for the afternoon too. I went straight to bed. Came into the house and went straight to the bed..... cried .... cried .. cried myself to sleep. Slept 4 hours. straight. Woke up to Brian looking over me and then listening to my day and drying more of my tears.

Sunday is tomorrow and I rest. Monday at 4 .. is kick boxing. I have to pull myself together before then...

Week Six -- falling backward

My workouts with Tim, my Trainer-dude, have been really hard this week. I am worn out. I am tired. I am sore. I have been sore for 6 whole weeks. I feel my mind messing with me.

I complete both training days, one day arms extreme and next, legs so much I can not move. My eating is ok, not perfect, but so much better. Sleeping is ok. Not great, because I wake up in the middle of the night sore, but ok.

It is not a good week. Could be my cycle. I have wacked out cycles. Weight related. I cycle every six weeks or so, and flow HEAVY. But my cycle is almost over and I am still so tired, I can not function.

Tim says I have had a good workout both days. Why do I feel icky??