I've been a lazy slug...

Ah, shoot. I am already behind. I knew that this was going to happen but today I realized how extremely behind I am. First I am behind on my bible reading. I picked a 365 day plan that I have actually started a couple of times in the past. Given I wanted to "do this right" I started once again at the beginning. From day 1 I was behind as I didn't actually start on my birthday but a week or so later. I have had a couple of days where I read multiple day's readings at a time, but sadly I have found that I am 23 days behind! Ahhh! How did this happen?! I am only just over a month past my birthday! Well, given I am on day 12, this is definitely believable.
The really sad part is last night, I spent from 9:30-11:30 reading the 2nd Harry Potter book. That's right, 2 hours of reading Harry Potter when I could have been catching up on doing my bible reading. I admit it, that is sad, and I do feel kind of bad about it. Given each day's bible reading takes about 10 minutes, I could have almost been caught up in the time I took to read Harry Potter. Maybe I should go whack myself in the head a couple of times as Dobby would...
I definitely need to get back on track and put down the Harry Potter books - at least until I get caught up. My plan of attack is to read at least 3 day's readings each day until I am caught up. That would take me a few weeks to get back on track. Ooohhh, don't know if I can go that long without Harry Potter! (Just kidding :) ... or am I)
The second thing I am off track on is my push up program. It all started the week grandpa died and I haven't gotten back on track since. This means I am 2 weeks behind as I didn't do any of it while I was in South Carolina (by the way, I didn't do any of my bible reading while in South Carolina either). When I came back from South Carolina, I actually tried to get back on track right away but when I got to my 5th set, I couldn't hit the minimum number of push ups you are suppost to do so I gave up. Well, I didn't give up for good, just for the day. Unfortunately, I have never picked back up. I am hoping my weaklingness (I may have just made up that word) was due to being so tired after the trip. I was seriously exhausted for most of the week and didn't really get back to feeling myself until around Friday. Saturday though, I went to the 9:15am Muscle Madness class at the gym and sucked royally when we did push ups. I was ok for the first few but my arms started to give way after a while and especially when we did the "around the world" push ups. Prior to "around the world", we did a bunch of regular push ups and then a bunch with one hand on your step and one on the floor (each side got a turn). For "around the world", you started on one side of the steps we were using and did a push up beside it, then you did a push up with one hand on the step and one on the floor, then both hands on the step, and then back down the other side with one hand on the floor and then both hands on the floor.... and then reverse..... 8 times. It didn't help that the teacher went super fast. My push ups are slow as it is so I didn't keep up at all. The teacher is really good and really kicks our butts, I just wish she taught on a day (at a later time) that I wasn't half asleep like I am on Saturday morning.
So tonight, along with doing my bible reading, I plan to get back on track with the push up plan. I will just start back where I left off on week 4 and hope I can hit the minimum for the 5th set. Wish me luck!

Progress on #2 - Alternatively titled, Sonja's Bulging Biceps

Here we are at the beginning of week 3 of the 100 push ups plan. I am actually a day behind and completed the last day of week 2 yesterday. I was so sore last week from doing what I like to call now, The Triple Threat. It is a TurboKICK! class, ABSolutely ABS class, and Urban Yoga class all in a row at my gym. Two hours of fitness fun! Ha ha, yeah right, more like 2 hours of insanity and torture! Didn't help that I did a Muscle Madness class the day before and then (because I didn't feel like the class did a whole lot of good) I decided run and walk in intervals for 45 minutes. My legs were sore from that since I haven't run at all for about a year.

*Slight detour for a moment* I have had a problem with my left leg for a while that no one seems to be able to diagnose. My calf will get super tight and my lower leg will swell. Was even sent to the ER because I called the doc and he thought I had the symptoms of a blood clot. Thank goodness it wasn't but it was a bit of a scare. Since then I have had to dump hundreds of dollars into an MRI and physical therapy that my insurance won't cover completely. Still no diagnosis (other than a small Baker's cyst behind my knee which I am told is not the culprit) and the problem seems to baffle both my doctor and physical therapist. I stopped PT and was referred to a specialist, but at this point, I am sick of the medical bills. The problem is really more of an irritation than anything though it was really painful if I tried to run. I have noticed a decrease in frequency of the muscle tightness and swelling though since I started doing more strength training. I stopped going to Bikram too (mainly because of the cost) but that seems to be helping too. I kind of wonder if I had some sort of injury that stretching in intense heat would irritate even more and since I have stopped, it has started to heal. I sure hope so. I miss Bikram and would like to take classes every once in a while. (If you have no idea what Bikram is, click here.) *End of detour*

So anyway, soreness kept me from push ups but now I am back on track. This week is an exhaustion test so basically I needed to see how many push ups I could do at once to tell me what column to use for training this week. 16 -20 push ups is column one, 21 - 25 push ups, is column 2, and over 25 is column 3. Also, I am doing this round of the program in a modified push up so my guess is I will have to complete it a couple of times before I can do enough full good-form push ups to meet the requirements of the program. Then I will move on and repeat it with good-form push ups and repeat weeks if need be. Good thing I have a year!

In addition (as stated above), I have started my gym's Muscle Madness class. I have found that the Thursday evening and Saturday morning teachers are the best at kicking my butt! I was like jello walking out of there on Saturday! The class is a strength class for your entire body though, not just arms. We do a ton of squats and lunges!

So (drum roll please) at the end of week 2, I am maxed out at 14 push ups but could do 18 during my exhaustion test. When you max out each day, it is after doing 4 sets already though. I think that is pretty good given the minimum for the last day of week 2 to max out at is 8. It is also good because when I started, I could only do 5. That tells you how freaking wimpy I am. The only bad thing about all of this is I have gained weight. I just tell myself it is muscle mass though!

I'll be buff before I know it! Grrrrrrr!

The Entire List - With Commentary

1. Write a blog detailing my adventures of trying to achieve 30 things before 30 - Well, I have started that so I think I am on a good track!


2. Do 100 consecutive push ups - Yes, my arms are weak. I know this. But thanks to my good friend Charles, I stared the 100 Push Ups program. http://www.hundredpushups.com/ Doubt me if you will but I WILL accomplish this. I actually started a little before my birthday but considering I am doing modified (girl) push ups right now, I will probably have to do the program a few times before getting to 100 real good form push ups. After day 2, I am able to do 10 modified push ups in a row.


3. Visit Mount Rushmore - Just think it would be fun. Road trip anyone?


4. Plant and cultivate my own vegetable garden - So this summer I became addicted to grilled zucchini and squash with a citrus grill seasoning I have. I am tired of going to the grocery store to pick them up though because they don't tend to last very long in the fridge. Solution, grow my own! I would like to plant some other veggies too and maybe some herbs.


5. Go on a mother/daughter vacation to somewhere sunny and beachy - This would just be fun! And I never go on vacation. Seriously, the last real one I went on where you stay at a resort was Spring Break, sophomore year of college. Sad. Plus it would be quality time with my mom!


6. Read the entire bible - I have tried but always failed. Now that I have a blog to hold me accountable, I have to do it!


7. Cook (then eat) a whole live lobster - So my dear brother tried to scare me away from this one saying the lobster will scream and try to claw it's way out of the pot. I have found the screaming to be a myth. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Do_lobsters_really_scream_when_you_put_them_in_boiling_water As for the clawing their way out, well as Tim said, that is what the lid is for. Now he is on board and wants to know when this event will happen so he can join me. Think you're getting free lobster eh Tim?


8. Watch all of the Harry Potter movies - I know it is shameful. I haven't read the books either. Not planning to. The books can go on my 40 before 40 list.


9. Treat myself to a spa day - Many of you know that I am cheap and I would rather pay for tangible things rather than experiences. Hence why I rarely go to concerts. I guess I will just have to suffer through a spa day...


10. Pee outside while camping (in honor of Tara K) - Yeah, I have stage fright if I try to pee outside. Tara tried in vain last year at the Niobrara to get me to but I would rather use the stinky, bug infested porta potty and risk being attacked in the dark by deranged campers.


11. Go to Worlds of Fun - I really have never been. Always wanted to go, but it just never happened. This year, it will!


12. Run a half marathon - This one will be tough with the problems I have had with my calf but I think with the proper training, I can do it!


13. Visit a Nebraska winery - Another one of those always wanted to things, but never did.


14. Play paintball with my brother - As many know, my brother is quite in to paintball. We'll call him a paintball enthusiast. I am a little frighted that he will try and cover me head to toe in a shower of paint balls but I am hoping his girlfriend will come to my aide. By the way, Tim has offered to allow me to bring friends!


15. Attempt/learn to water ski - I have snow skied but never water skied. First time for everything!


16. Visit the Butterfly and Insect Pavilion at Henry Doorly Zoo - Seems like a fun thing to do.


17. Go to the Wildlife Safari in Ashland - I actually never heard of this until today when I was looking for things in Nebraska I could do. Seems pretty fun and there are trails you can walk too.


18. Go ice skating at the ConAgra ice skating rink - Yeah, I know. I worked there for 5 years and never went. In my defense, it was only open 1 or 2 years when I worked there...


19. Decorate for Christmas - Some know that I stopped doing this a while back when I hit a rough patch in life. In reality, I was only really down one Christmas but I just haven't decorated since. Last time was 2005 and that is far too long. This year I want to go all out! I may even get a new tree since I have high ceilings in the new house!


20. Go fishing at Standing Bear Lake - Live by a lake, might as well fish in it!


21. Submit a concoction to http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/ and have it published to their website - I know it sounds bad but if you check out the website it is pretty funny. People come up with crazy, horribly fattening dishes and then take a photo of them. Some sound and look pretty gross but some actually sound quite yummy. Take the Corn Dog Pigs In A Blanket. Those sound great!


22. Go through the McDonald's drive thru and buy the meal for the car behind me - Hopefully the person will see this as a nice act and not think I am hitting on them. If I am lucky, it will be a nice old lady. My luck though, it will be a family of 20 or someone picking up hamburgers for their entire youth group and I will end up with a huge bill. Better bring a lot of cash when I do this!


23. Learn to drive a standard - Nope, never learned how. My brother tried to teach me once when I was buying my first car. It was between a little black Civic which was a standard and a Neon which was an automatic. I was too nervous about learning to drive the standard so I ended up with the Neon. Yeah, I know. Bad choice. I bet I would still have that Civic!


24. Go to a rodeo - Well given I live in Nebraska, I think I should go to at least one.


25. Milk a cow - Not really sure how to accomplish this. Maybe at the rodeo? Do they let you do that there? Or maybe they have a cow milking exhibit at the zoo? Anyone I know have a farm???


26. Teach Mollie to shake - So lots of people seem to think my dog is dumb. She isn't the brightest but she isn't that dumb and what she lacks in brains she makes up for in cuteness! She knows, "Go home", "Sit", "Lay down", "Leave it"... I think that's it. Hopefully I can teach her a new trick!


27. Make a large art project for the house - Not sure yet what I am going to do but as anyone who has visited the new house can attest, I have nothing on the walls. I am thinking a big photography project where you do 9, 12 x 12 frame and hang them on the wall in a large square shape. Or maybe I could take a painting class and make a large painting. We'll see. I guess I should hit up some DIY websites for ideas or start watching HGTV again!


28. Host a dinner party for a few close friends - No, I will not make you lobster. You should all know I am too cheap for that. A nice dinner though where I cook everything and others can just enjoy!


29. Swim in the ocean and/or make a sandcastle with Becca - Yes, this is just an excuse to visit Becca and go to the beach. It's my list! I can do what I want!


30. Volunteer and do something I have never done before - I have done clean up stuff, Habitat, stuff with kids, fostered a dog etc. I want to do something new. For instance, I have never worked the elderly or homeless people.