September 2, 2011

Friday, September 2, 2011

 

Got roughly 8 ½  hours of a restless sleep last night.

Woke at 6:30 am but lounged till 7:30 am.

I irritated the muscles between my mid-shoulder blades (middle Trapezius); it has been my ‘Achilles heel’ – a weak spot from an old injury from my early 20’s when I used to perform one-arm push-ups at fitness demonstrations.  What was I thinking! We have zero forethought when we’re young and invincible…at least I had none!

Yesterday, I felt the moment when I felt it “go”…it was in my second set of 100 skips.  For some reason I let my gaze drop and so my head followed – bam!  It seemed to go away during the 3rd and 4^th rounds, but felt it again when I did the reverse push up.  I didn’t listen to my inner voice, I should have stopped but I wanted to finish my ten reps.

In hindsight what I think actually triggered this domino effect was the Sandbag cleans from the workout, which recruits a lot of Trapezius.  It’s not such a big deal because I know how to recover (stretch/ rest etc.) from this kind of setback; it’s just a shame about the lack of sleep.

(At the time of writing this I don’t feel any residual pain; I’ll be going swimming in the morning if all is still well by then!)

 

As a result today was a REST & RECOVERY DAY.  I was due for a rest day anyhow…I’m listening to my body – now, at least.

7:30 am before getting up I did my wake up stretches:

• Hug knees to chest for a very long time
• Hip flexor stretch (right knee to chest, left leg stretched out on the bed – repeat other side. Repeat both sides a few times)
• Hip Flexor stretch with Rotation
• And I bicycle my legs up towards the ceiling under my duvet, it helps me to wake-up and warms me up before I step out of bed.
• Seated forward bend with legs extended and knees very bent (I am very inflexible in the morning.  I have to be very gentle with myself and warm up slowly.
• Once sitting up, I did some seated spinal rotation, initiating the movement from the hips.

Everyday is different so I just listen to what my body needs.

As I sat up out of bed I repeated the Micro Breaks.

Around 8:00 am I never got around to reading from Fierce Medicine, by Ana Forrest last night, so I read two chapters as I sat on the edge of my bed.  Great book, could have sat there longer but I was fiercely hungry!

Did my 4 Minute Morning Week 3 – DAY 7

Said good mornings to kids.

Did this stretching routine:

• 10 rolling like a ball
• Right and left Hip Flexor stretch
•  3 Hip Stretches
• Double Latissimus Dorsi stretch
• Side Bend stretches

9:00 am Made Pancakes for the kids.

9:00 – 9:30 am MY Breakfast:

• Banana
• 2 Fresh Figs from backyard
• ½ Nectarine
• 1 Cup Frozen Spinach, steamed – drizzled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Freshly squeezed lemon juice.
• Combined ¾ Cup Cooked Brown Rice Flakes + ¼ Cup Cooked Quinoa Flakes + 2 teaspoons real Maple Syrup
• 12 oz. Water
• 4 Baby Carrots

10:00 – 11:30 am

• Clean kitchen from breakfast and from last night ( a real mess!)
• Load of laundry
• Input log
• Victory Stretch

11:45 am MY Lunch:

(Leftovers are essential for me to eat well.  When I’m hungry I need to eat then and there.  If the right food isn’t available that’s when poor choices happen, which is the downfall for most of us- must be prepared.)

• 1 1/2  Cup of Tri-Colour Quinoa Salad which consisted of:  Quinoa/ Steamed Green Kale/ Cherry Tomatoes/ Red Pepper/ Fresh Mint & Parsley Sweet Potato and Yam.
• Drizzled with my homemade Salad Dressing, with an extra sprinkling of Kelp granules.
• Ate 1 Cup total of this: Pan fried 1/4 Sweet onion in Extra Virgin Olive Oil + 1/2 lb.Fresh/ Wild Halibut
• 4 Baby Carrots
• 12 oz. Water

Ate outside enjoying the sun and watched the dogs lay on the grass.

Did a row of monkey bars.

Spent some time on the computer.

12:30 pm

• Clean up kitchen
• Feed kids lunch
• Transfer wash to dryer
• Put in another load
• Take clean laundry upstairs and sort
• Snack on 10 baby carrots
• 3 slices of Green apple
• 2 sheets of Sea Weed (this stuff is not your ordinary run of the mill sheets of sea weed).
• 12 oz. Water

1:00 pm – 1:35 pm Drive my son to a play date

1:45 – 3:00 pm Drive to pick up his uniform shirts

3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Return to play-date and hang out chatting with my friend (walk to playground and back).

12 oz. Water/ Banana (forgot to bring my own snack!)

5:30 pm MY 1^st Dinner:

• Snack on Baby carrots and 1 last snap pea.
• 2 Cups of Tri-Colour Quinoa Salad which consisted of:

Quinoa/ Steamed Green Kale/ Cherry Tomatoes/ Red Pepper/ Fresh Mint & Parsley / Sweet Potato/ Yam and tossed with my homemade Salad Dressing, with extra sprinkling of Kelp granules.

• 2 re-heated BBQ Double Loin Lamb Chops with Fresh Garlic & dried Rosemary.
• 12 oz. Water

6:30 pm MY 2^nd Dinner:

At our favorite Japanese restaurant

• Spanish Mackerel Sashimi, with Ginger and Scallions (this dish is AMAZING)
• Sea Weed (no dressing)
• 1/4 of a large Fresh Grilled Sardine (sprinkled with Sea Salt only) AMAZING flavour!
• 3 cups of Japanese Green Tea (they keep refilling my cup and I don’t decline…hmmm.)

At home 7: 45 pm

• 2 Squares of Denman Island Chocolate (Cocoa Loco).

Rush to finish laundering the kids bed sheets which I didn’t get done during the day because I was out all afternoon.

8:00-9:00 pm Get kids ready for bed

• Showers/ dry hair/ brush teeth/
• Make kids beds with laundered sheets
• Put the kids to bed.

9:15 pm Started inputting todays’ log.

10:20 pm Shut down computer/ maybe enough time to do a few stretches before bed.

Aim for 8-9 hours sleep.