Does laughing so hard my stomach hurts count as a workout?

There are some things that make me laugh until I cry- every time I read them.

Here are two:

Well, this is awkward

You are not invited

You should read them. 

Now that you've read them, is your stomach being ripped open- from the inside? Are you crying?

Because I am. 

Great. I'm crying and my stomach hurts as badly as it does when we do serious core work in boot camp. So I wanna know if this counts as workout. 

Because I will market it as the new 20 minute abs. 

The gauntlet

Today we ran the gauntlet.

"Running the gauntlet (originally gantlet, and, rarely, gantlope or gantelope) is a form of physical punishment wherein a captive is compelled to run between two rows—a gauntlet—of soldiers who strike him as he passes." 

(Thanks, Wikipedia!)

Yes, there was running. 

Yes, it was punishing.

No, there were no soldiers waiting to strike me down.

Yes, I feel like jello.

Yes, I thought I might die.

No, I did not die. (!!!!)

I did get songs stuck in my head. At least for the running part.

But I always get song in my head when running.

During a particularly tough section of a half marathon a few years ago, three women were on the side of the road singing "ain't nobody gonna break my stride, oh no! I've go to keep on moving..."

I've sung it ever since.

Today it was Band of Skulls "I Know What I Am".

The exercise stations required counting, which takes a lot of focus. 

Especially before sun-up.

Focus I don't have.

Which meant stating over. 

Or realizing I was supposed to to 18 of an exercise when I'd done 30. 

Oops.

Can I get a counter thingy for next time?

I can hear one of my coaches now "Or you could just learn how to count".

Yeah,  thanks...

Wikipedia goes on to say that in some cases, those that made it through the gauntlet were forgiven for their crimes.

Oh, and hey- I learned why it is important to take a day off once in awhile.

Usually I get my ass kicked by almost everyone in camp.

Today I was the first one through.

(What is happening?!?!)

I tell you this because if I can do it, so can you.

No, it's not easy. 

But the best things never are.

 Another 4 week session of boot camp starts Monday.

Maybe I'll see you there?

For registration information, go here.

I'll try anything once.

This is a post from 3 weeks ago. What can I say? There are gremlins in my computer.




There is something to be said about the first time. 

I mean, I was so excited the first time I gave an injection, I about peed myself. 

Very contained excitement.

I'll try anything once. 

No, seriously. 

Anything.

*Mom, if you're reading this, earmuffs. Er, eye patches.*

Jump off the roof into the lake? OK. 
(If you know me, you know this white girl doesn't jump. So how it happened that I actually made the lake is beyond me.)

Top out a Corvette on Johnson Ferry Road? 
(Hey, I can't say everything I did in high school was all that smart.)

Drive Darrel Waltrip's race Car? Check.

Fly a plane? Yes. 
(And you should, too, given the opportunity. It is fun as all get out.)

Sex, drugs, rock and roll? You know this.

Snorkeling, rock climbing, surfing, skateboarding, whitewater canoeing = yes x 5.

Baking, home remodels (everything except electric; my hair is already crazy. Last thing I need is 110 volts.), gardening, jewelry making, camping, volunteering, collecting crap*, pouring iron... the list goes on.

*A side note about collecting crap: 

Me: That collection lasted about as long as driving that race car.

That Handsome Man I'm Seeing: What?! Who are you kidding? Have you been to your house? Do you know where you live?

The first times that really captivate me, though, are the ones that make me come back for more.

I guess that's one of the things I'm enjoying most about boot camp.

Every day it's something different. I like the "trying new things" part.

As I tried to post the other day but failed as technology eludes me there was a Gremlin in my computer,

"Every day we do something different. Yesterday I had my ass handed to me as we did a workout based on our triceps push ups. I hurt so badly afterwards, I couldn't type. My abs are still so sore and my arms are spaghetti.  Yet I dragged my sorry butt out of bed (I really should do something to make my bed less comfortable; it might make leaving it easier.) once again this morning to join the shenanegins planned for today.

I was rewarded with the fastest timed mile I've run since being on the crew team in college.

I'm thinking boot camp might have that rare appeal of making me come back for more."

Yeah, I'm still sore from that workout. I foam rolled my stomach last night (as proof of soreness/ stupidity). And I'm really not sure what I'm going to do next week while boot camp is on vay-cay. 
get lazy? sleep? mud wrestle? take up fishing or rock collecting? cry?
Who knows?!

I am a Sally

Sweet heavens!

The flatbreads I made yesterday were so good (and so easy!) that I was forced to repeat them today.

It's a tough life.

One word about them: cut them before adding honey. 

Also, I can't help but think they'd be fantastic with lavender.

I woke up this morning to a flash of lightning. No boot camp. (sad face!)

So I slept in. 

(Again, it's hard to be me.)

I had every intention of running. 

Really, I did. 

But then the invitation for coffee took hold. 

And the thought that maybe I'd do yoga instead of run.

Which then led to an invitation to the pool.

Which lasted all of ten minutes before the lightening returned.

Which is how I found myself craving those tasty little flatbreads. 

And in the kitchen making them.

And eating them. 

"I'll run tonight" has been my constant thought. It is followed by the thought "that will mean running three days in a row".  Excuse me?? 

Once upon a time I was a runner! I used to run several days in a row.

What is happening?!?!

Now I'm thinking, "I can't run tonight, I just ate."

I'm a Sally.

*sigh.*

My better self knows that I should immediately follow this with positive self talk to tell myself I am not a Sally. 

That I should use this as an example.

"See? Even CrazyTown has days she doesn't wanna."

Whatever.

I'm not running.

Snacks

So my awesome coach sends out these emails a couple of times a week. They are designed to keep us scrubs motivated and they include everything from injury prevention (I totes almost wrote "exercise prevention") to diet tips. My favorite email is the one where all the coaches chimed in on their favorite snack recipe. 

Their suggestions ran the gamut.

"Take cheese, and wrap it with meat" was my favorite. 

Mostly because it is never going to happen. 

The chana masala, though, has real potential. 
As does the sweet potato with cheese. Especially with some broccoli.

Mostly because I love food. (Who doesn't?!)

This got me thinking about some of my favorite recipes. I rarely follow recipes. I started using them as a basis for my cooking and then just ignored them. However, with the increased caloric intake (or maybe just an increase in the fiber & protein) mandated by my doing boot camp, I decided to revisit my cookbooks, blogs, and a few websites for recipes.

Some of my favorites this week:

1. Epicurious. It's quick, easy, and has a ginormous catalog. Check out the black bean and tomato quinoa. I make it using black quinoa (it's prettier!) and grape tomatoes cut in half.  

2. Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything Vegetarian. It's great to be in Mark's kitchen because he knows how to make foods lively again. Black bean salad? Great. Try it one of these nine-jillion ways. (I did the black bean and corn one on page 74 most recently.)

3. Smitten Kitchen. I want to eat at Deb's house every day. She makes the process of making food look glorious.

(In fact, I am going to make her flatbread with honey, thyme and sea salt directly after this now.)
x.

Running in circles

Font to back.

Front to back.

I wonder if the coaches get tired of saying it.

Front to back.

I wish I'd worn my Garmin this morning so I'd have a clue as to how many times I re-ran an area.

Front to back.

It almost sounds like a song. 

Slide- slide- slippidy slide.... yes, I just went there.

You remember it, right?

Sorry.
Didn't really mean to get Collio stuck in your head.

Front to back.

I may be a little wound up because... well, let's face it, I'm always wound up. But today I'm extra excited because I've been carpooling to boot camp and we normally listen to the blues (there is something magical about listening to the blues in the morning. Mostly in that my desire to go back to bed can be somewhat tamed...) but today we listened to the new Beastie Boys- 

and it is delicious!

Front to back.

And now I need the album.

So I can hear it.

Front to back.

While you were out...

Hello! 

I've missed you so!

Unlike the musings of my last post, I am not dead.

I was in Ohio.

Which may mean dead, depending.

These last two weeks have brought much change my way.

They moved to California.

(They being my sister and her family.) I am mega ugly crying about this.

I took a road trip. 

I crashed a wedding at my brother's. This time did not involve me encouraging the bride's mother to do keg stands. It did involve some good bonding. 

In Ohio, I visited friends, canoed, danced, golfed, ate, and slept. I even managed to do some sit ups.

Oh yeah. And I ran a 5K.

At 11:00.

IN THE MORNING.

Who does that?!

I mean, who has a 5K so late in the day? 

They's cray-cray, for sure.

Especially sine it was ninety-nine zillion degrees with eighty something per cent humidity.

Not that I'm complaining.

But that shit was hard.

And, then, because it was no where near my way home, I went to Baltimore.

I didn't realize how much I missed that sensation of knowing exactly what someone else is thinking just by seeing their face until I caught up with my running buddy. 

We ran. We drank wine. We ran more walked.

And then I went home. 

So yeah. No boot camp. For 2 weeks. 

Which made today lots of fun.

We did an ab workout called "Hardcore Abs".

Need I say more?