2012 Summer Breakthrough!

[Jollybeggar]

Originally Posted by allbruteforce

Focus on Progress Not Perfection

Amen Brute...."don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good"

[Ariane]

Thanks guys, for keeing my spirits up!

I am still here, but have not posted much lately, as the month of July was a mess. I lost track of the workouts and all. Does not mean I was idle On the contrary, I had probably strained myself. We have been on that 1 week active holiday (dancing and windsurfing), then a friend visited for a week. On that week, I had a hard TT workout, and the same day went to the swimming pool and had an hour of water gymnastics. Then I could already feel my knee. A few days later I had another workout, plus a whole night dancing in high heels - after that my knee was really in a bad shape, I was limping for days!

The next day we went to the thermal bath to relax, and there the masseur told me that I probably also neglected the Calcium-Magnesium supplements, and sure have not streched enough, because most of my large muscles, all leg muscles and my back are totally crampy - with the added effect of my weaker knee hurting a lot.

So I learned my lesson - LOTS of streching, the right supplements, and taking it a little more easy with exercises. And STRECHING before and after.

The knee was suffering from the very tight leg muscles, that pulled the joint together. A masseur told me so, and I could totally feel it.

Since then I strech every day, even when I dont work out. But last week, right after the crampy days, I caught some throat virus, probably stress related, and I was quite ill for 3 days. Fortunately, thanks to loads of herb tea and supplements, I already got out of it on the 4th day, only some caughing to clean up. During the illness I had no energy to work out, only to strech.

So I only had 2 TT workout (TT MRT2, day 2) since my knee issue, but also 2x an hour of pilates which is very good for elongating the leg muscles. And I was only riding once last week.

Now I am about to commence a TT workout, continuing on TT MRT 2.0 which I like a lot. Only issue is that the warmup sets are very long, but full of great bodyweight exercises.

There is still 3 weeks to go to the end of the contest - time enough to catch up and still have some significant improvement!

It is not going bad with nutrition: since the illness started, I have not drank any alcohol, and eat much less, also more healthy. I can already feel it, my stomach is more flat (the workouts also help of course), my weight started to slowly decrease again, compensating for the 2 weeks of out-of-control eating habits.

I started to eat more vegetables - salad, aubergine paste, fried beans. Also eating more fruits, partially from my own garden: berries, pears, apples and melon. Decided to juice every other day (I am lazy to wash the juicer every day).

So there is hope

Wish you all a great August, with large steps toward your transformation!

[Ariane]

Oh I forgot two workouts in the last weeks.

When we went to the thermal bath, before I got ill, I did 30 min water gymastics, and 500 m back strokes (very good for the back).

And on Saturday 28th July also thermal bath, swimming 500m backstroke, steam and sauna.

[allbruteforce]

Originally Posted by Ariane

Oh I forgot two workouts in the last weeks.

When we went to the thermal bath, before I got ill, I did 30 min water gymastics, and 500 m back strokes (very good for the back).

And on Saturday 28th July also thermal bath, swimming 500m backstroke, steam and sauna.

Great effort, even when unwell and nursing an injury.

I too, need to do a lot more stretching, just goes to show the work you do when you're not working out is just as important.

Best of luck with the remainder of your transformation.

[Jollybeggar]

Yes, very good job not giving up but working through the injury and taking care of yourself. So proud of you. Yes, stretching and not over-training is something I think most of us take for granted. The older I get the more I need to keep that in mind.

I agree, scrubbing the juicer everyday is a pain. I still do it though, but I hate it. Almost makes it worth going to Whole Foods and buying it already juiced.

Hope your next few weeks are good and you do well.

Cheers,

[RobB]

Originally Posted by Jollybeggar

Yes, very good job not giving up but working through the injury and taking care of yourself. So proud of you. Yes, stretching and not over-training is something I think most of us take for granted. The older I get the more I need to keep that in mind.

I agree, scrubbing the juicer everyday is a pain. I still do it though, but I hate it. Almost makes it worth going to Whole Foods and buying it already juiced.

Hope your next few weeks are good and you do well.

Cheers,

You'll be just fine!!!!!!

[Ariane]

Hello,

Thanks for the encouragement!
Injuries and cold healed, back to full gear!

Last week I was again on a short but active holiday, with the following workouts:
- Daily swimming in the lake
- Daily superman climb in the shallow water, which was very good for my hips, and other water exercises, streching
- Windsurfing - 1x1,5 hour, 1x2 hours in hard wind, right next day 1x1 hour in hard and random wind and waves which was too much, so I could not carry on after an hour of falling and getting up...
- Daily infra sauna

I could not do a full TT workout as the hotel room was very small, and the windsurfing is a very hard workout in itself, with the swimming and stretching it was sufficient.
I have not eaten a lot, usually a big breakfast with eggs, then only some snack, like a gyros in the afternoon. But 2-3 glass of red wine in the evening. Still, I lost a little weight.

After 2 days rest, today I had a full workout of TT MRT 2.0 and it felt great!

Back home now I also started to eat more healthy, juiced yesterday, eat lots of fruit, fiber, and salad.

I though I was not making it, but now I see that overall my body starts to transform, I am definitely losing some belly fat!

But the big target I have not hit yet in this contest. Is it still worth to submit? What do you think?

Wish you all the best for the finish! May you reach your transformation goals!

[RobB]

Great to see you "resurface", Ariane!!!!......Go for the Gold! Rob

[Jollybeggar]

Originally Posted by Ariane

But the big target I have not hit yet in this contest. Is it still worth to submit? What do you think?

Wish you all the best for the finish! May you reach your transformation goals!

Hi Ariane,

Glad you're well and back in the saddle. I quit the first two TC I entered as I didn't think I did very well and would have a chance of competing (and don't like losing). I regret doing that now. I keep thinking about helping my son train for our Warrior Dash next month and how I wouldn't let him just quit but keep competing till the end.

I can't say you shouldn't because I bailed twice, it's up to you, but I wish I'd still sent in my results.

Whatever you decide, thanks for you support during TC14 and keep hitting it hard.

[concetta27]

Originally Posted by Ariane

I though I was not making it, but now I see that overall my body starts to transform, I am definitely losing some belly fat!
But the big target I have not hit yet in this contest. Is it still worth to submit? What do you think?
Wish you all the best for the finish! May you reach your transformation goals!

Absolutely submit! You have made progress, if not your target. So what? Take any progress, celebrate it and build on it. Concetta