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Monday, November 28, 2011

Plans...

The day after I wrote the last post I was informed my gym membership was up...

I re upped it yesterday and had another change of plans. I will be doing the first 3 weeks of the marathon training program my sister is doing. Hal Higdon's Novice Marathon Training. Wish me luck!

AND...

Happy Belated Thanksgiving


Go DAWGS for winning 10 games in a row!


Friday, November 18, 2011

30 Day Challenge

     Something about telling enough people that I plan to do something guilts me into doing it. So here it goes. I am going home for the first time in over a year in 32 days (yes, I know the exact number of days). I was just getting into working out everyday when 2 things happened. 1) I got sick...I tend to baby myself when I get sick. 2) I started school full time...with a full time job. Aka, lots of reasons to stop working out because I am too tired. So, now I am enrolling myself into my own special 30 day program.

     Basic tenets: I WILL work out at least 5 days a week, but my goal is 6. I will try to avoid treating myself with chips and sweets for going to the gym. I will continue to drink tons of water...not hard to do when you live in the dryness equivalent to the desert. I will do strength training, cardio and stretching. I will stretch every day.

Specifics:
Areas I want to work on: Butt (Goal: tone), thighs (Goal: tone), stomach (Goal: tone), arms (Goal: Build muscle and tone)

Arms:
Determine the maximum weight you can lift for each exercise so you can build a workout routine around your maximum for each exercise. Your maximum is the amount of weight you can lift one time before failure. If you can do several reps with a weight, add more weight to determine your one-time max. Perform a warm-up set of an exercise, performing five reps of the exercise using 60 percent of your maximum weight. Take a 2- to 3-minute break, then repeat the set of five lifts using 80 percent of your max. Take another break, then perform three more sets of five reps using 100 percent of your max. Rest between each set. Perform all five sets of the same exercise before moving on to the next. Recheck max each week.” Livestrong

Everything else:
Use weight to perform eight to 10 repetitions of an exercise, using 40 to 70 percent of your maximum weight. Take only 1-minute breaks between sets. You can move from exercise to exercise each set. Repeat 3-4 times per exercise.


Cardio:
Exercise at a pace that I can maintain for 15 minutes (At this point, that is running at about 9 on the treadmill)
Each week, increase the time I run by 5 minutes.
Week 1: 15 minutes
Week 2: 20 minutes
Week 3: 25 minutes
Week 4: 30 minutes
During the end of my third week, start adding sprints. Sprint for 30-90 seconds and then take a 2 minute break.

Wish me luck! I will keep you updated on my progress! I know I have been a horrible blogger recently, but if your wondering why...check above. Work, school and now exercise! 

Friday, November 4, 2011

Tokyo trip!

Tokyo was great...from what my husband tells me ;). I found out last Monday that my boss wanted me to go to Tokyo in his place for DIA (pharma) conference. He said he would know for sure if I could go on Tuesday. So Tuesday afternoon my boss bought my ticket and I bought hubs a ticket to go to Japan! He has always wanted to go to Japan, and since his birthday was November 1st, what better time to “surprise” him. We woke up at 4:30am Wednesday and by 5 were on our way to the airport. We had quite a bit of time to kill at the Starbucks so we chatted a little and drank some coffee. Then we got in the security check line next to one of the many families in China leaving with a new Chinese daughter. The inspection that this infant got would rival any TSA rubdown. Then we taxied forever and 3 hours later we were in Japan. Nice, clean, beautiful Japan!

Everyone we dealt with was so polite. Holding doors open, smiling at us while taking our order...etc etc. Plus the streets were clean, no one felt it necessary to honk (ever) and people let you cross the street when you had the “Ok to walk” signal.

I worked all day Thursday and then went out to a work dinner with some clients and didn't arrive back at the hotel until around 11. Friday was a little better, since I got back at 5. That night we went out to Shibuya, got a VERY expensive tiny dinner and then just wandered around seeing the district. Shibuya is the shopping district (or one of them) of Tokyo. The main street is supposed to be one of the most crossed streets in the world. It's where the Tokyo “Time Square” is...complete with a HUGE 2 story Starbucks. Later that night we got a wonderful apple pie crepe that was delicious! The next day we wandered some more and then headed back to Beijing. 3 days of clean fresh air, quiet and orderly people was just what I needed. The only downfall...it is extremely expensive in Tokyo. A 30 minute taxi ride that would have cost me $8 in Beijing cost me $80! Overall though, if you have money to spend and want a cool place to visit, I recommend Tokyo.

Now for the photo dump Part 1: Camera edition...iPhone edition is to come 

View from our hotel room
So pretty and refreshing
Buildings...
Very popular donut shop
Looks awesome...I LOVE Starbucks...its almost sad
See the trend...line out the door for donuts


First course at Will and Yuki's dinner...I know...who orders vomit on purpose...it was supposedly good 
Yuki cooking up the second course
Nice clean subway :)
A building that everyone was taking pictures of...so Will did too


Ask your kids to look away
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Entrance to one of the many sex shops...this one was 4 stories high...
Mount Fuji in the distance
Shibuya aka Japan's Time Square 
Pretty park wedding
First and only couple picture in Japan...might be more on the phone

Loved it! Sad to come back!