Monthly Archive for February, 2008

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Happy weekend everyone

Published on February 9, 2008 in Uncategorized. 2 Comments

Was expecting Damien home last night at 9pm ish but his flight was cancelled and he had to stay in Wagga for another night!!!  Peeved.  He had missed calls on his phone from Rex, so he tried to call back only to get some answering service, so checked the website, there was nothing there saying that anything had changed so he drove an hour to the airport, only to be told he had to drive back again!!!!  So this morning he was put on a flight to Melbourne, then will fly from Melbourne to Mildura.  Bloody hell, that is useless – the reason was they didn’t have enough pilots??????  I think the fact he was the only one on the flight from Wagga to Mildura may have been a factor.  Rex seem just as bad as Qantas these days.

My sleeping is going ok, I am having trouble some nights falling asleep ie it’s taking me a couple of hours, and sometimes I have to go downstairs and put my music on to turn my brain off.  Eventually I get to sleep so all good.  The interesting part will come when I have to get up early every day to fit all my comp training in!

Training

Jodie and I trained heavy shoulders the other day – love training shoulders.  It was good because we drop our reps to 3-5 which allows us to lift heavy weight as it’s always hard to go up in weight for small muscle groups once you are a bit more advanced.  2.5kg each DB is a very large increment when it comes to shoulders.  So, when I am on my own I can ‘easily’ use 12.5kg dbs for shoulder presses, for sets of around 10-12.   But going up to 15kgs on my own is impossible because I need a push up for the first rep.  So, anyway I have done 15kg before with a spotter, but this time I wanted to do 17.5kg as I don’t think I’ve ever done that weight before.  So, Jodie helped me and I eeked out 2 or 3 sets with these, of course she spotted me a fair bit but at least my shoulders felt a weight they have never felt before.  We did 8 sets like this.  Then some heavy upright rows (Jodie did something else) followed by lateral raises and then triceps supersetted with abs.  I can’t do anything like sit ups or leg raises – anything that uses my hip flexors, so, I just did the ab wheel and a set of cable crunches.  My abs are REALLY sore!!!  And for some reason my neck muscles are very sore as well.  Today we have chest and biceps, probably not fully recovered from shoulders, but there are only so many days in the week.

Injury update

So, on the injury front, it’s still there.  I managed to get an appointment with a reputable physio on Monday, so will be asking for some ultrasound treatment or something.  I haven’t been doing cardio, well apart from maybe a 20 min stint on the tready but that hardly counts.  I figure what is the point aggravating it – I’m going to need to do a LOT of training for comp prep so I really need to get over this injury before then.

Ideal Bodies Online

Ideal Bodies Online now has a Gym equipment section in our Store.  Currently some treadmills but will also be getting fitballs, dumbbells and barbells.

http://www.idealbodiesonline.com/shop/Gym-Equipment

The Thunder is the tready that I have.

Carolyn’s Comp Date changed

People that are planning a trip to Brissie for this might need to know this!  So this means our IBO photo shoot is also changed, to 18th May.  Lucky I didn’t go ahead and be all efficient and stuff and book those airfares the other day!

Well I’m all up to date with work – I don’t HAVE to do any work this weekend if I don’t want to.  But no doubt I will, because I can’t help myself and there is always stuff to be done.   Could spend 24/7 on it if I wanted.  I guess I should start on next week’s programs as I will be travelling to Melbourne on Tuesday for the entire day.

The weather has been cooler of late, even has a bit of a nip to the air in the mornings!  I hope summer isn’t quite over yet! (careful what you wish for!).

Published on February 6, 2008 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

The latest on my darling hubby 

Well it’s been hectic around here as usual.  Damien has gone to Melbourne again today, to see the neurosurgeon.  I was anxious to hear from him after his appointment.  Apparently he has to have the cyst out in March sometime (date not yet set) and they have decided the best way will be to go via his head (top of the forehead I think near the hairline) rather than up through his nose.  I think his biggest worry was having to have his head shaved. :)   Anyway, this surgery will require a 5 night stay in hospital.  I imagine I will go down while he is there – I can always take my work into the hospital I suppose.  Because he is now in Wagga for work until Friday, I haven’t been able to find out much more than this and apparently the specialists all have to get together and organise a date so they can all be there.  I wish it was happening sooner but I suppose March will come quickly enough.  The months are already flying by.

Pleasure and Pain

On to happier thoughts – my injury has improved a bit after a chiro session on Monday and, a killer massage today.  This MT loves inflicting pain, I think she gets joy out of seeing the grimace on her client’s faces :)   Even her own son refuses to have a massage by her – he calls her a ‘cruel bitch’!  I don’t think a massage is worthwhile unless there is some pain involved.  There really is a fine line between pleasure and pain isn’t there :)   Anyway, she massaged my ab area in particular hip flexor (psoas) muscle and my goodness was it sore.  She couldn’t believe how tight the whole area was.  It felt great, no pain, after she’d finished.  So, me being me, since I have been slack on the cardio, decided to test it out by going for a short walk/jog – 30 mins.  Started off good but the hip had started to play up again by the time I got home!!  Stoopid girl.  I did train today, by myself, at Club Aquarius.  The gym where I actually did this injury.  Jodie if you are reading, they actually have the db sets (2 of them, up to 20kg!!!) in the ladies gym!  Today I trained back and some light legs.  I was really looking forward to using the wide lat pull bar – of which Beachhouse doesn’t have.   I also used the D Ring pulldown bar which was good.  And a proper seated row with the old rusty v grip.  Then I did a paltry leg session.  I was a bit embarrassed doing it actually.  Chiro told me I could only do half squats and half leg presses ie don’t use full range of motion to keep the hip out of it as much as possible.  I felt like such an idiot doing half squats (felt like I was back in a Pump class again :) )  Oh well.  I also did some one legged squats off a bench.  Tomorrow Jodie and I are training heavy (low rep) shoulders and rear delts (higher reps for these).  I think triceps too from memory.

Monica in Oz?

Had an email from a lady who is trying to get Monica Brant over here for her FEM camps and wanted my help.  I haven’t gotten back to her yet, but I imagine there would be some interest in this.

Team Ideal Bodies Online photo shoot

Have booked Dallas Olsen for Sunday May 25th in Brissie, for an Ideal Bodies Online photo shoot!  I have quite a few girls already planning to go. 

Competition update

I got my entry forms for the All Female yesterday, so will be filling those out shortly.  It will be interesting being at a different venue this time.  I’ve only ever competed at one venue (besides Tempe, Arizona!).  There is a Mildura show being run by the WNBF in August and I may even enter that.  We’ll see how I’m feeling by that stage but would be kind of fun competing with all your friends and family and the local community there to watch!

I’ve hired Sandy Jose for my trainer this year and will go and see her on Tuesday in Melbourne.  Down very early, and back late.  I trained with Sandy in 2004 for 8 weeks but it was the best I’ve ever felt on a comp diet. 

I’m a Doofus

Oh, how could I forget.  Just to show I’m an idiot sometimes, we went out with a friend on Monday night for dinner.  This friend is a bit of a wine afficionado (sp?) being MD for a major wine company here.  5 hours and at least 5 bottles of wine later we decided it was probably time to head home!   This friend has a breatho in his car (proper one) so we thought it would be rather interesting to see what our readings were – especially since I barely ate anything.  For some reason I was not hungry and could only eat one oyster kilpatrick and 2 squid rings!  What a waste.  So, off we trundle and each had a blow in the bag.  I read .184!!!  Isn’t that terrible!!  I wasn’t even the highest though.  Needless to say the next day was a bit of a write off, rather seedy to say the least!  No training for me that day.  It was a really fun night though and good to take our mind off other matters!

Well that’s my round up, hope everyone is doing well and all that stuff.  Thanks again for all your messages and emails.  xx

Published on February 3, 2008 in Uncategorized. 2 Comments

Thanks so much for the kind thoughts and wishes everyone – it is really appreciated.  Damien is a very laid back person and he wouldn’t let this bother him too much, but I know it did rock him a little when he found out.  So, we are just waiting to see what the neurosurgeon says on Wednesday.  It’s just scary to see something so big there, and not know until you have a scan.

I trained yesterday with Jodie – we did heavy chest, and some biceps and calves.  I’m getting a bit sore now.  I also managed another paltry effort at cardio – I’m just trying to do something but be kind to my injury.  I did half hour on the tready, with a slight incline, mostly walking with some slow jogging.   It flared up my hip so I’m not happy about that.   Having to walk up and down stairs all day in the house doesn’t help I’m sure!   Poor Jodie had to pick me up to go to the gym as Damien left to go watch the tennis with his friends and left his ute in front of our garage – embarrassingly enough, I can’t (and don’t want to!) drive a manual so I wasn’t able to get my car out – and actually I think he took his keys anyway (and he left his phone home so couldn’t call him!)  So, rang Jode at last minute to pick me up.  Then after training, she drove me home, got home and could not find my keys!!!   No way to get in!  Damien still wasn’t home.  Rang the gym and I had left them there :(   So, we drove all the way back, and all the way back home again!  Disaster all round :)   Thanks Jode!

Today I trained alone to catch up on my workouts.  Shoulders and tris, and did a few abs.  I can’t do complete sit ups, only crunches, but could do the ab wheel so that was good. 

We had fish and chips for dinner!  Sat up on the balcony at home – was rather hot with the sun beating down.  Long time since I have had fish and chips.  Hit the spot. 

I have a chiro appointment tomorrow so I am hoping that this will give me a little more relief – I can pinpoint the injury a little better now.  I chatted to Lisa V via email – she’s an osteopath and is going to try and get me in a little earlier to the one down here which is very nice of her.  I can’t imagine having to do heaps of cardio and train for a comp with an injury – not like it’s going to get any better by flogging it.

There are lots of things I have to talk about but by the time I get to write in my blog I tend to be in a hurry and just want to go to bed or relax.  I did buy some books today, thanks to all for the recommendations.  There were some I couldn’t even find in the book store – Target had more variety and they had a good sale on so I came out with 4 books.   Will let you know how they go.

Had quite a few people email me re the Qld thing so that will be good, will keep it all in mind and make some arrangements at a later date. 

Thank you

Published on February 1, 2008 in Uncategorized. 4 Comments

Damien and I on holiday April 2007

To those who left messages re Damien.  The news we got from Melbourne this time was no better, in fact a lot more troublesome.  The cyst has actually compressed his brain quite a lot and they are now trying to find the best way to remove it and are concerned at removing such a large cyst as they are not quite sure how the brain will react.  He has to fly down again on Wed to see a neurosurgeon.  They are all rather intrigued at the size of it and have commented they can’t believe he has not had seizures/blackouts/headaches.  There was a time, months ago that he did suffer from really bad headaches which he figured was a sinus problem – he was just given antibiotics when he went to the doctor, and the headaches did subside.  We think that may be when the cyst had formed and started to get bigger.  I’ve been pretty worried about it as you can imagine.  It looks like it won’t be until the end of Feb until he has the surgery anyway.

I had to miss training yesterday, and did again today so I am catching up over the weekend.  I’ve been behind in work as I had to deal with some advertising and web design stuff earlier in the week as well as get my nails done (2 hours??) and hair the next day.  I’m waiting for Rach’s programs to come through, and I only have one left to write tomorrow.

I did manage to do a short cardio session on the treadmill and it did make my hip sore again.  In fact right at the end of the session my ankle on the same side started giving me some really sharp pain and I could not continue!  Gawd, I’m falling to bits!  I can’t wait to see my chiro again on Monday – so it’s been about 3 weeks I’ve had this for now.  Anyway, tomorrow I will try again, perhaps on the bike after my chest workout.

Even though we are not sure what is going on with Damien’s op, I have booked a flight to Melbourne to meet with my trainer to discuss comp prep.  I sent down my diet for the last week and she told me just to continue like that for the moment.  I go down and back on Tuesday 12th.  I must admit, I’m really keen to get into it – I’ve got my comp mojo back!

Got the draft article through from Body & Soul today, so really looking forward to seeing that in print in a couple of weeks.

We have a few dinners out over the next few days – tomorrow night, and Monday plus we had some takeaway pizza (capina) tonight!

Jodie has been working hard in the gym and it’s definitely showing – she’s very focused at present.  Congrats to Zeets for finishing her 12 week challenge with some impressive results – look forward to seeing her before and after pics together.

My sleeping has been going quite well and am down to 3mg now.  Still groggy from these which I do not enjoy at all.  Usually as soon as I wake up I’m ready to go but now it takes me forever to get myself into gear.  Just a hungover, groggy feeling.

I’m planning a trip to the May INBA show in Qld to see Carolyn compete – there are a few of us going and I really want to do an IBO photo shoot, probably the day after.  Email me if you will be going and would like to be involved. 

Relax time, after I follow up a few enquiries.