Oh. Em. Gee!

I can’t believe it’s been almost a month since I’ve posted. *SMH*

I have had a plateful of life, lately. Baby Boy’s graduation and Senior festivities have been eating up a lot of spare time. The day job? It’s still there, but I am still kinda liking it and stuff, which is good. 😉 I go to see Middle Son every week, and Eldest is getting married next month and I’m trying to figure out just how to afford getting to Elko, NV for the festivities without breaking the bank…

Our team name, for the 5K Mud Run, looks to be “Peace, Love, & Mud!” and I think that is just so cool…and will look amazing on pink camo with peace signs on it. ;D

I have been paring the studio down to the bare minimum, as I’ve closed the portrait side of the biz due to lack of interest; both on the part of my clients’ budgets, and my own…well…lack of interest. At 47, I am not exactly a spring chicken anymore, and 80+ hour work weeks? Not really my thing. I am, however, still doing commercial freelance.

I’ve kind of taken a HUGE step forward in the whole “self-care” thing, and while it initially felt awkward and selfish? It doesn’t anymore.

I noticed that when the hubs had his first few surgeries in ’07, we were able to kind of recover as a family, but when the humdinger came down in 09? You know…the one that put him out of work and brought the money vultures out of the woodwork? I pretty much forgot to take care of myself in exchange for the pursuit of the almighty dollar.

Well, as y’all know, I signed on for the mud run, and started lifting weights, via the StrongLifts 5×5 program. I’m kinda going to cheat here, and post a partial excerpt from a blog I posted on MyFitnessPal.com, because, well…I’m just lazy: (And with this? Until next time…)

So I did my homework and read up on how the 5×5 program works, and thought perhaps, even though those really scary and intimidating free weights/barbells were required, that maybe, just maybe, I could do this.

I was fortunate in that I was gifted a standard bar and a couple of ten pound plates from a friend of mine that is using her Olympic bar and didn’t need the extra. I had initially thought about purchasing an Oly bar, but it’s good that I didn’t. I was doing good to do both the workouts with 20 lbs, initially, and a 45 lb. bar would have kicked my fat ass. No lie.

 I was a fatty, and I’m not known for having ANY upper body strength. I mean, at ALL. Girlie pushups were killin’ me. Could I possibly do this? Hmmm…maybe. What did I have to lose but some fat and what was left of my already dwindling ego.

So three weeks ago last night, my wonderful husband took me an hour down the road to the closest D!ck’s Sporting Goods and we came home with a bench/rack combo that has been my best friend 3-4 days per week ever since.

 Let’s be clear…I HATE to exercise. I am jogging when I can to train for a 5K mud run next month, but running is NOT my favorite thing. I did the 30 Day Shred through the first and second levels and was getting really bored. My pool won’t be comfortable to get into until at least late April/early May, and that’s really the only “exercise” I enjoy. I hate the gym, and get bored easily, so imagine my surprise when I found that I REALLY liked picking up that bar with the two 5 pound weights on either side. I’m excited because three weeks in, I don’t like it, anymore. I freaking LOVE it! I have never, ever gotten so much enjoyment from any workout, ever!

 Even three short weeks in, you can actually SEE the change in my arms. That flying squirrel upper arm is about gone, and I absolutely plan on rocking a two-piece by the pool this summer, and look forward to swimming with ease.

Little things are making me all happy and excited; carrying a 17.25 pound bag of fertilizer from the truck through the house and into the back yard on my shoulder like it’s nothing? Big deal. Our big old heavy grill rusted out and once disassembled? I was able to pick the halves up and get them from the yard to the truck to the dump with the greatest of ease.

Starting stats on 2/15-17/13:

• Squats – 20 lbs.
• Bench Press – 20 lbs.
• Barbell Rows – 20 lbs.
• Overhead Press – 20 lbs.
• Deadlift – 20 lbs.

As of 3/9/13:

• Squats – 70 lbs.
• Bench Press – 50 lbs.
• Barbell Rows – 65 lbs.
• Overhead Press – 40 lbs.
• Deadlift – 110 lbs. 

The scale and measuring tape numbers are falling at a consistent rate, and I can’t complain about that. It’s COOL to get into jeans I haven’t worn in years.

And because I am trying to keep a log of my progress, I submit to you my arms, which seem to have lost a LOT of that “flying squirrel” flab in the last several weeks:

Is it me, or do I really look pregnant in the left half?

Yes, these are mine, and I will actually claim them.