Ouch!

I thought that after a month of this insanity I would be prepared for this month's workouts. Not. At. All. Yesterday was hard. Probably more than most days because I had the fit test to do as well. Today I am sore. I haven't been this sore since the first week of Insanity. I thought I had gotten past the soreness stage. I guess not. It makes me smile sometimes because it's that good kind of pain. The kind you really worked for. I have earned this pain. Why do I think that is a good thing? It's not the "I woke up with a kink in my neck" or "I fell down the icy stairs" kind of pain. Those pains aren't fun or exciting. This is tolerable because I am getting stronger and hopefully more fit.
Here goes another month!

Still Going

Today was a fit test day. That would be nice except the other 2 times we have done the fit test that was it for the day. Today we get to do a whole video in addition to the fit test. Nathaniel did the fit test this morning and I did it during his lunch break. We both did pretty darn good if I do say so myself. We improved on every single test except one, I think. We'll do the video together tonight.
I have lost 2 pounds so far in the past 5 weeks, which is nothing to brag about. People lose more than that going to the bathroom. I have not lost inches like I had hoped. Only 1 inch off of my hips and a half and inch off of my waist. The only thing I can see so far is the improvement in my fit test and my endurance. I am not giving up though. Today starts month 2. Everything from here on out is MAX intervals or MAX this or that. I figure if I stick to it I will get results. I want to see this through. I am getting more muscular, which is nice. I just don't want to be bulky. The MAX videos are more intense and longer, so I am nervous and excited at the same time. I love that everything is mapped out for you. All you have to do is push play and follow along. I really like this workout and I will continue to do it after this month is over. I don't want to lose the muscle I am gaining. I'll have to alternate these videos with running. I think I'll see the results I want with that combination.

Changing to Nights

We decided to change our workouts to nights for a little while to see if we like that better. I really like getting up and moving, but when 1 o'clock rolls around I am wiped out. Nathaniel said he is tired as well during the day. I don't know if this will work as well with meetings and naughty kids not going to bed on time, but here's hoping!
Since we decided to workout at night, I decided I would get up this morning and take a little jog on the treadmill. I am missing running and wanted to see how I did. I didn't have a ton of time before Nathaniel left, but I did 2 miles and it was easier than before I started Insanity. That makes me happy. It was nice to jog for a while and take comfort in that familiar motion. I usually don't like treadmill running, but today I did. I also love that jogging doesn't make me sore so I should still be good for the workout tonight. I may not be changing the way I look, but so far it has helped me in other ways. I hear next month is going to kill me, so maybe that's when the weight will come off.

It Doesn't Get Easier

Today was Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs again. It was just as hard as it was last time. I do love that I am able to go through the whole warm-up without stopping. At least in that I am a success. If you don't think that's a big deal, buy the videos and see for yourself. I still am not seeing any decrease on the scale. All this hard work has to pay off. If nothing else, I'll be the big lady that can keep up with her kids. As my sister says, "At least I'm not the fattest mom out there". I take comfort in that.
Nathaniel has been in some pain the last few days. His back and inner thigh are really sore and he thinks he may have pulled a muscle or something. I told him he should take a few days to let it recover, but he says he doesn't have to listen to me ;) . He is still trucking away doing the drills. I just hope it doesn't make it worse. I admire his determination. He is still quick to jump out of bed at 5 and get us going. I couldn't/wouldn't do this without him.

It was the best of times, it was the ...

start of our third week on Insanity. I went to bed with a sore back. My daughter jumped on my back during the day while I was laying on my stomach. She landed with both knees straight to my spine. An excellent disabling move for my little "Karate Princess," but not such a great move for my back. That was compounded by the fact that I really worked my back during the cardio abs workout the day before. (It was supposed to be an ab workout, but I could feel my lower back getting tight through the whole workout. Try sitting in a C position for six minutes while doing ab exercises.)

So, the reality is, I really loved the workout on Saturday, which led to a really tough workout this morning. But, I really wanted to push it on the fitness test today. So, for the first exercise, I bombed it. I miscounted and tried to pace myself, and ended doing less than the first time. What a waste. But I used that as motivation to push myself to new heights on each of the next seven exercises.

I did not post my numbers from the first fit test, but I did improve in every exercise except the first one. I had some really good improvement in form, and not just in numbers. I love when I get better quality and quantity. Go me.

And, Tennille did a great job. She looked really tired when we got up. I realized it was not a dream of mine when our son came into the room in the middle of the night. Tennille had been up losing sleep during the night, and she still managed to improve or maintain in each of the eight exercises. She really is an inspiration. Go us.

Weights and Measures

Sunday was our third "weigh in." With no ado whatsoever, here are the results.

Weight: 205
(I gained .2 lbs.)

Calves
Right: 15.75
Left: 15.75
(That is a quarter inch gain in both calves.)

Thighs
Right: 24.5
Left: 24.5
(That is no change on the left, and a quarter inch decrease on the right. But, they are even now.)

Hips: 40.5
(no change)

Waist: 40
(no change)

Chest: 40
(Increase of a quarter inch. I am hoping that is a good increase. I really did a lot of different push-ups this week. I deserve the quarter inch increase.)

Forearms
Right: 12
Left: 11.5
(This a half inch increase on the right and a quarter inch increase on the left. They are really uneven. I am not sure how this happened. I will have to watch out this week.)

Upper arms
Right: 13
Left: 12.75
(This is a quarter inch gain on both sides. They are growing evenly. Another positive.)

Neck: 16.25
(This is a loss of a quarter inch. Not really sure what that means.)

Well, another okay week. I really look forward to seeing the overall changes at the end of the program. I think that I will probably see positive growth in all areas, with maybe slightly smaller hips and waist. I would not mind that at all.

About Ready to Quit

As I was waking up this morning, I wondered if I should tell Nathaniel that I was thinking of quitting. I didn't want to let him down. This was something we were supposed to do together. It motivates you so much more when you have a partner. But I don't look any better. I do feel better. I feel stronger and more able. I was thinking I could still get up at 5 to workout with him, but I'd just do the warm-up on the video and then hop on the treadmill to do my running. That way we are still getting up and working out, just each in their own way. I decided to give it one more day to see if I did better on the fit test. If I didn't then I would quit. Fair enough, right? No weight change, no measurement change, no improvement in ability. But, there was an improvement in my ability. Not a huge jump. But definitely improvement. So, I am going to stick with this for a little while longer and hope I see some physical benefits. If not, I will get on that treadmill and run those saddlebags off. They've got to go one way or another.