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labelleizzy: (stoutness)
Tuesday, January 8th, 2013 05:25 pm
Yesterday I went to [livejournal.com profile] fyrekaaat's 21st birthday party, and bailed on my usual Monday dance class at 5rhythms. (For the record, I really miss the dancing, but I don't get invited to such a special birthday party very often, so I made a tough choice.

I'm really proud of myself for hauling my butt to the gym in the late afternoon to make up for missing the dance class. And incidentally, because my joints have been HURTING. and I know that if I move intentionally, my muscles limber and stretch, stop hurting so bloody much, and my joints get relief also.
I'm lucky that way, as I have friends for whom this isn't true.

But I just wanted to brag a little about what I accomplished.
1) I spent a full 30 minutes on the machine-that-is-the-bastard-child-of-elliptical-and-exercisebike (I gotta find out what the hell to call that thing, because it is FUN). This is almost ten more minutes of cardio than I usually do. Had it set on level 1; I must admit that it wasn't uber challenging. I think that's okay, because my shoulders and neck and back have been so twingy that I wanted to be gentle and prolonged with the warm up.

2) I did a little bit of work on the weights, added some weight on a couple of machines (d'oh! just realized I completely skipped the adductors and abductors machines!) and helped some of the tight sore muscles to relax. Generally quite gentle with myself after almost 3 weeks away.

3) Found an open space off in a secluded corner with nobody in it, and yoga mats hanging. I love this spot. I did a variety of my yoga warmups until the remaining stiff muscles felt better, then did some of the wonderful stretches. My core muscles must be reasonably strong, because I can hold my legs up in the air firmly without any wobbles and without *thinking* about it. This is so much yay.

4) Finished off with rocking up into a shoulder stand again, and made the effort to try and straighten my legs and torso up more vertically... can't get there yet, but nothing hurt and I wasn't very wobbly, and this was A New Thing that made me chuckle with pleasure at my own body.

(and then Jeff and I went to the pub in Oakland with [livejournal.com profile] ag_unicorn and [livejournal.com profile] zpdiduda and [livejournal.com profile] fyrekaaat and her friends and tried some new kinds of beer. Nom nom nom Blood Orange Cider and Purple Haze, which is a raspberry-wheat-beer.)

A very good evening, well spent in good company.
labelleizzy: (yoga)
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012 08:16 pm
Aww yeah baby.

Gym today was SPECTACULAR.
And not just because my right hip and leg desperately needed the workout. I started with the adductor and abductor machines at 50#, ten pounds down from my usual, just to try and give those complaining muscles some immediate love. That was a good thing. Then a wee bit of stretching before moving on to cardio...

There was a fun new machine, which is kind of like the love-child of an elliptical trainer and stationary bike, that was just too damn much fun, it goes REALLY REALLY FAST which is something I hardly ever do, but it didn't have a lot of resistance, so it wasn't HARD exactly. It was just hella SILLY. I was grinning like a loon (as they say.) 17 minutes was "ten laps" for whatever value of laps this machine uses. It worked upper and lower body, so I just did a little light work with the hamstring machine (because my hamstring was part of the OMG YOU'RE NEGLECTING US!! brigade) and then a little flexibility work for shoulders and core, and THEN I got on the bosu-ball, it's a balance ball, with like half an exercise-ball topped by a flat platform; you stand on the platform and it's OMG-hard. I did good stuff there, bent knees and straight, holding my core muscles, until I was making with the wobbly-knees only it wasn't my *knees*, I'm not sure what was wobbling but all of me was wobbling, and then I hopped off. I felt the muscles in the bottoms of my FEET being tired. Wow. That would explain the recent bout of foot-cramps I've been having this last few days when I haven't been working out... Okay!

Ok, now, now, is my favorite part, my most bragging part. =D
I went into the foyer, which has become kind of my default stretching and yoga-work place at the end of a workout. Got a mat, and went from Cobra to Child's pose and back a few times to limber my spine, kicking my right hip out in Crescent Moon to stretch the hip muscles (still sore, I need to get up and move again once I finish this post) ... Up-dog, Down-dog. Rolling my pelvis around on the mat to massage my lower back, I kicked my legs out and rolled up to my feet. This made me remember how much I liked rolling from Boat forward and back... and then I started to roll and kick my feet up, back toward my head, and then I almost made a shoulder stand, and then I DID make a shoulder stand. =D =D =D

And then I had to do it twice more to make sure I had really done it. I did! I did make a shoulder stand!!
This FAT CHICK did a shoulder stand! This OLD BROAD did a shoulder stand! THREE OF THEM!!

So. Much. FUN!!

And then to cap off my triumph, I got the foam core roller and pounded on my IT band and the sore hip and butt muscles, and then I rolled my SPINE, which I always forget how it hurts so, so very good. And makes me feel like I'm at least an inch taller.

Now, now my ducklings, I must go have something to eat, and some more water, and figure out What's For Dinner, because I inspired Jeff to go for a bike ride on the New Bike (which is hella nifty machine, let me tell you) and I plan to reward him by having something delicious ready when he comes home. I think scallops on linguine will do nicely.

Dance music and cooking, ahoy!
labelleizzy: (food&wine)
Wednesday, October 15th, 2008 07:47 pm
Imagine mac-n-cheese. Remember when you were a kid, you had a comfort food?
Mac-n-cheese was a common one, or some variation thereof... (my mom's tuna casserole, mmm cheesy goodness.)

so now imagine you're grown up,
and y'know, you like some spices with your meal,
and a decent glass of wine,
but you're lazy.

So you throw some rotini pasta in the pan, boil it up,
go get some thyme from the plant in your backyard,
pour a glass of Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel,
(now the pasta's about done)
scoop pasta out of pan into a bowl with a triple-pinch of thyme, some cracked pepper and garlic salt,
and because you're really lazy, use the slotted spoon to cut some butter into the bowl,
(keep stirring while the pasta's still hot)
cut a bit of cream cheese in there
(keep stirring)
and go sit down on the couch with candles lit, your glass of wine, and your damn laptop, because you're going to brag about it on your Livejournal.

HAH!

(cos DAY-UM, this is some fine dinner I got me here!)
(sips wine)