Day 4 - Birthday Month - Return to the Gym

Oooh, Imma get ya'll.  You guys sat right there and let me drink that coffee, me thinking it was decaf and it was regular!  I didn't go to sleep until after midnight & then overslept this morning!  Aye de me!  Lesson learned!

I really didn't do anything particularly special for my birthday month celebration today.  I worked & volunteered teaching Citizen Schools sharing with middle schoolers how to brand themselves....a very important lesson in the urban community.

Then I went to the gym.  Yes! After over 4 months, I crossed the threshold of O2 Fitness again!  I didn't go too hard.  I did a 30 minute alternating jog/walk on the treadmill & then finished off with 80 squats.


Squat challenge update - 80 squats

I thought I would share the variations that I'm using with my squats.

These first 4 days I have split my squats between squat raises with the exercise ball & body weight squats.  At the gym I also used the squat machine to finish out my 80 today.  I'll change up the type of squats after my rest day tomorrow.

My Birthday Month - Day 3 - An Extra Hour, French Vanilla Cafe, & Being Tall Does Not Define Me

 Daylight savings time ended last night/this morning at 2 am.  And my eyes popped open bright and early at 6:30 am as the sun streamed directly on my face.  Whaa...?  Oh well, I was awake.  I caught up on a DVR'ed show and was ON TIME for church!  Yay!!  (I usually tip  strut in during praise & worship).  I was NOT going to be late for church when we had a whole extra 60 minutes this morning.  I guess the extra hour boosted my energy levels because I was super productive today.  I blogged, bought groceries for the week, walked the dog, cooked dinner & lunch for 3 days this week and got my 70 squats in!  My personal treat for myself today was the Maxwell House International Cafe' French Vanilla. I hadn't had this in a while and thought it would be perfect for these cool fall nights.  I enjoyed a cup while I watched Black Girls Rock! tonight on BET.  Yum!  And yes, I rep UNC all day, everyday.  I even have a Carolina tumbler on my desk at work that I drink my water out of.

Random topic that sorta goes with being a Black Girl who Rocks....I had an interesting interaction with an associate last night.  She remarked that she was amazed that I'm a girly-girl.  She said that with me being 6'1, I'm the only  tall girl she knows that's not a baller but truly a girly-girl.  She said she was trying to "figure me out".  It sorta struck me as odd because, I'm no tnow nor have I ever been an athlete.  While I love watching sports, I am the epitome of a very feminine tall woman.  Competitive - yes.  Strong personality - absolutely.  Soft, tender, emotional, girly, classy, eloquent woman - you better believe it.  What's hard to figure out about that?  #shouldershrug  The comment was posed in a slightly negative way...that there was something wrong with me being tall AND girly. Like I wasn't living up to my potential. For a moment, I started trying to share all the ways that I'm not girly.  I watch, understand, and commentate sports.  I love action films.  I have tons of male friends.  I can throw a football....WAIT!  Hold the line.  I am girly.  I love lavender & hot pink, flowers, beautifying myself, 4 inch heels and clutches.  I sashe' when I walk, giggle, cry over romantic films, and sing all my favorite songs.  I also love all of the Fast & Furious series, UNC basketball, Dallas Cowboys football, and now baseball.  I listen to games on the car radio, call to debate the games with my dad every Sunday, & would rather sit with the guys than the girls at Superbowl parties.  Nothing makes my day more than playing with my godson AND I walk the halls of the company I work for with a power walk that rivals Olivia Pope.  DON'T box me in!   My being tall is a direct result of a 6'7 man (my father) and a 5'9 woman (my mother) loving each other. Being tall does not define who I am or what I should be no more than my dark brown eyes do.  I am a woman.  I have a right to define me the way I choose to be seen by the world.  #dropsmicasIstepoffsoapbox

Ok, Day 3 of the squat challenge.  My quads are burning and my gluts are on Fiya!!! - 70 squats today.

I thought I would give my starting measurements so I can do a before & after at the end of the month.

Before shot - 11/3/2013 (after 2 days of squats)

Measurements:
39 inches around my derriere
22 inches around my left thigh
22.5 inches around my right thigh

Walking the Walk - Mrs. Obama Does Push Ups on Ellen

I thought I would add this post as a bonus for today as we talk about good health.  I love the fact that our First Lady of the United States not only talks the talk about health & nutrition, but also walks the walk as we see demonstrated in this video clip of her visit on the Ellen Show.  As a side note, I have worked my way up to 10 "man" push-ups, you know the ones on your toes.  I can do about 20 the "girly-way", so Mrs. Obama gets much respect from me!

Come on ladies, get some!  Let's get active!

  How about a gun show by July 1, 2012?  Anybody game?