Whirlwind week and a new side job!!

If last week was a bad week in terms of health this week was a wild one in terms of work and home life.

My office job has been FULL of insane tasks this past week.  Lots of analysis, a lot of learning new programs and systems and a lot of busy work! I hardly had a moment to catch my breath!

Zumba has been wild and wooly too! Class on Monday at the academy was awesome.  Both classes on Tuesday were fantastic. Wednesday TurboKick kicked my tail from one side of the to the other and Zumba was great too! Until I over stretched my Achilles tendon again. That made both Zumba and Hip Hop Hustle on Thursday kind of painful but totally worth it. 

We did our first "The Show" Hustle class on Thursday and I am so proud of my crew for rocking it hard! It hurt to jump so I had to coach more than dance but I still sweat my tail off.  So proud!

Friday I filled in for Sue at the Y and taught another class.  It was a trip and a half! I love the Friday night crew at the Y.  They brought the fun!

Then I made a decision that I hope winds up being a good one... I signed up to be a BeachBody coach!!

When I started the BeachBody Challenge with Tricia and the rest of the team at the start of January I wasn't sure what I was getting in to but it's been a real eye opened for me.

Shakeology is pretty much the best thing to happen to me nutritionally in a long time! Breakfast is so hard for me because of the queasiness my synthroid and cytomel cause me in the mornings.  Favorite recipes so far?

1. Chocolate Shakeology, 1 cup Dark Chocoloate Almond Milk, 1 packet of Caramel VIA, ice
2. Chocolate Shakeology, 1 cup Vanilla Almond Milk, 1 cup dark frozen cherries, ice
3. GreenBerry Shakeology, 1 cup Healthy Balance Pomegranate, Blueberry, Acai juice, 1 cup frozen blueberries, ice

All three are freaking amazing! They're releasing the new Tropical Shakeology this month and I am psyched beyond belief. 

I'm also totally sold on TurboJam and the Shaun T Rockin' Body workouts! I love the way they mix up my Zumba schedule and help me on days when I don't want to leave the house.  I love the energy they help bring!!

If you're interested in learning more about the fantastic BeachBody workouts and the Shakeology products feel free to visit my websites below!

http://www.beachbodycoach.com/SIMPLYSAM

http://myshakeology.com/simplysam

Worst. Week. Ever. and 30 before 30.

Let's recap...

Sunday night I sliced my thumb so deeply that it bled for over three hours.  I was opening a can of water chestnuts to make a veggie stir fry.  Apparently eating healthy is going to be the death of me! I knew I probably needed stitches but I was NOT going to the ER unless it kept bleeding or got worse to a point where I couldn't control the bleeding. 

I went in to work Monday morning and it was still oozing on and off.  I tried to call my doctor but kept getting put on hold.  I wound up going to see another doctor to get a tetanus shot.  He said my finger needed stitches but because it happened more than 6 hours before he couldn't stitch it.  Got my shot, directions to keep it clean and dry and sent on my way home. I taught a kick butt class that night and hoped that keeping my arm moving would make it not hurt the way tetanus shots normally do.

Tuesday my arm was a bit sore but it didn't hurt.  I was so pleased! Things started to go south about 10am though.  I wound up with hives down my neck and over to my shoulder.  I thought it was stress but then it dinged - it was a minor allergic reaction to the tetanus.  I know this because it's on my shoulder and neck next to my injection site.  Brilliant.  At least it was minor and was easily controlled by benadryl. Sarah and I had two amazing hours of Zumba Tuesday night.  That helped to make me feel better more than anything.  Woo endorphin rush! I did end the night by bashing my head against my bedside table giving me a knot on the head and a bad headache.

Wednesday is when the bottom dropped out.  At about 2 p.m. the knot in my arm from the tetanus got huge, red, swollen and was hot to the touch,.  I was not pleased. It started to hurt to move my arm to answer my phone.  I had a class to teach and a TurboKick class to take and I wasn't giving in to the stupid injection so I went! And I regretted it - instantly!  I probably would have been okay with just the Zumba but that hour of TK is my hour! I love that class, I love the instructor, and I love just being a student.  (Oddly enough, though, I want to get certified for TK now. LOL)  During Zumba one of my students started calling me "Nemo" because I had one good arm and one that wouldn't go above shoulder height.  It was still a great class, though.  I love the crew at the studio! Ended the night with a big dose of motrin and a hot compress on my arm. 

Thursday morning my arm was still killing me and it showed very few signs of getting better.  I medicated and did another warm compress and tried to force my arm to move as much as possible.  I knew holding it still was a bad idea.  I taught Zumba at the Y and then headed to the studio where I goofed off for the last half of Sarah's class before teaching Hip Hop Hustle.  I was in agony because moving my arm was difficult but I was so high on life it didn't really matter.  My arm was throbbing but it was moving easier than it was the night before and I pushed through to teach the entire HHH class. 

Then on Friday I hated myself for doing so.  My arm was killing me and then I had to go and add insult to injury - it was time for my depo shot.  So now I have a bum right arm, a sore spot on my left hip and I'm feeling gross all over.  I decided I wanted to go out to dinner and splurge! Nachos! Buffalo chicken sandwich! A light beer! A tasty molten chocolate cake! When I got home I was sitting on the couch and something in my lower back popped and I nearly puked it all up.  I was scared I popped a disc out of place or broke something. I took meds and went to bed before hurting myself further.

This morning  was feeling better but I was still in pain in my hip and my shoulder but at least my back wasn't hurting! Zumba this morning was fabulous and I've spent the day grocery shopping and then taking a much needed almost 3 hour nap.  Now, of course, this has me worried.  It could be more post injection grossness or it could be the tip of me getting the flu.  Normally I get hit with the exhaustion first and then the other symptoms.  Going to take it easy tonight and pray I feel better in the morning.

About a week ago someone on the Powder Blue instructor Facebook page mentioned she was doing a 30 before 30 list - 30 things to do before her 30th birthday which is next January.  I thought this was a great idea! Since I've only got till October I'm going to push to do all 30 before then but I'll be happy if I finish the list before 2013 starts.  One of things I added to the list - get TurboKick certified.  Other things on the list include: conquering my fear of sand and walking barefoot on the beach, baking a cake completely from scratch, reading some books, watching some movies I never got around to, various other fitness related things.  I'll be updating as time goes on when I cross things off.

Has anyone out there done anything similar?

Hip Hip Hooray for Hip Hop Hustle!

I did it.  I DID IT! I taught a Hip Hop Hustle class tonight and it was fantastic! I was so scared going in to tonight but I am 100% walking on air now.

Me and 33 fellow Hustlers!

I left work early to go teach Zumba at the YMCA tonight and I pushed myself hard there to sweat out as much nervous energy as I could. 

I got to the studio, changed in to a new set of workout clothes and paced.  I was so scared I was actually sick to my stomach.  I was really scared I was going to puke right before hand. 

So many of my friends showed up to be supportive and so many new faces came to see what the Hustle was all about. 

I did a warm up that walked the class through the most used Hip Hop Hustle moves and then we moved right on in to Block 1.  They picked it up so fast that I wound up getting through all but the last 32 counts of Block 2!  They kicked so much tail that we just busted right on through. 

A personal victory? There's part of Block 1 that has a criss cross jump that killed me during training and scared me crap out of me.  I pushed through and aside from a few times where I turned around to watch the class do it, I did it over and over through the whole class.  I was really afraid that I was going to need to modify it so much more than I did.

I had an amazing time and I can only hope the class had half the fun I did.  I also burned nearly 100 calories during class! Which is AWESOME.

I'm so utterly out of my mind happy right now.  I wanted to feel like this has a chance of taking off, of being something we can get on the schedule more at the Studio and at the YMCA.  I love Chalene Johnsons formats and I want to see them succeed in our little town.

I am totally excited to teach it again next Thursday night.  We're gonna get to the end of Block 2 and maybe even do a mini video of the two blocks together the week after that. 

Gratuitous Silly Picture!

Shaking it in 2012!

The first week of 2012 has been full of insanity and I couldn't love it more!

After the nutritionist meeting on Tuesday I tried very hard to follow her calorie splits and get in the 3 meals and 3 snacks that she wanted.  I have to admit, I feel more even already.  I don't wake up feeling queasy and nauseated and that's a first for me!

My workouts this week were insane and awesome at the same time.  Been doing my Turbo Jam workouts where time permits (20 minute express x 3 this week!) but have been on a Zumba binge it seems.

Wednesday night I hit up TurboKick and then taught an hour of Zumba.
Thursday was a Zumba marathon.  I taught an hour at the YMCA, ran across the road to the studio, taught the last 35 minutes of a class there and then had a 30 minute break before teaching another hour of Zumba.
Friday was my rest day and woah did I need it!
Saturday morning I did an hour of Zumba and my body was still not quite over the 2.5 hours on Thursday night.  My quads!!!!!
Today I am teaching a 75 minute Zumba class and working on my Hip Hop Hustle stuff.

Scared/Freaked Out Rant - GO!

I'm teaching my first Hip Hop Hustle class on Thursday night! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Today I'm making cheat sheets to post on the mirrors to keep me on point and practicing as much as possible.  I'm totally scared out of my mind.  Thankfully, I know Sarah will be at my side and Sue and Daphne are going to be there.  I know I won't be alone but it's the first time HHH will have been taught in Wilson! That's SCARY! I want it to take hold and be successful. One of my goals is to be teaching at least 2 HHH classes a week by the end of 2012.

I'm reviewing the moves and drilling the music in to my head and hope to slam the class out of the park.  I know I can do it! I know I can!

End Rant.

I'm also in the process of cleaning the house a bunch today.  I vacuumed, I organized, I threw things out.  I did dishes and laundry is currently running. I went grocery shopping and got everything set up for food for the week.  I'm going to get this house under control! I will!

I've got a busy week ahead of me.  Professionally I'm finishing user acceptance testing on my first big project ever.  I started working on this in August of 2012.  The program is written and should be implemented at the end of the month. EEEEE!

Then I've got 7 Zumba classes and 1 Hip Hop Hustle to teach/co-teach and one TurboKick class to rock.  And the mornings will be my solo TurboJam time. 

I'm on pattern, on schedule and on track to make 2012 the best year possible.

Goodbye 11. Hello 12. Hello Love.

So maybe I'm a year early for this reference.  Deal with it!

2011 year in review and 2012 wishes:

Really got in to the groove with my new job.  I started full time in July of 2010 but in 2011 I got to do some major projects, work with groups all across the bank and started to feel secure in my job.  I got to travel! I got to do major presentations! I had some major successes and only a few pitfalls.  When 2011 started I couldn't have dreamed I'd be where I am now.  I can only imagine what cool, new, exciting and scary things I'll get to do professionally in 2012!

Zumba! Wow... I got in to Zumba in the second half of 2010 and became a total addict in 2011.  I got licensed to teach Zumba in June and Zumba Toning in October.  I went from a student to an instructor.  I now teach in 3 locations.  There are people who not only like me but who actually go out of their way to come to my classes.  People look up to me, support me and look to me for support.  I can't say loudly enough how honored I am to be part of the Zumba family in Wilson.  I've gained friends in my fellow instructors and in many of my students. In 2012 I'm looking forward to expanding my classes, incorporating more Toning, and getting my Basic 2 and Zumbatomic licenses. I'm also hoping to bring the Wilson instructors together and make us a tighter knit community and working towards some more common goals. 

Everything Chalene Johnson -  Oh man.  Oh man.  I took Chalene's 30 Day Challenge to help me get organized and feel more in control.  It worked!  I also got certified to teach Hip Hop Hustle and fell in love with TurboKick and Turbo Jam.  Starting on January 2 I'm doing a 30 Day Beach Body challenge with some ladies from the Y and I'm looking forward to rocking out to Turbo Jam daily! I'm also ready to get Hip Hop Hustle on the schedule at the YMCA and the studio and to try my hand at PiYo.  I don't think I'll be ready to teach either TK or PiYo in 2012 but I'm looking towards that in 2013... maybe.

Health in general.  If it isn't obvious 2011 is the year I became a total fitness junkie. I mean, really, my birthday present to myself was a weekend of Zumba Toning and Hip Hop Hustle trainings.  I've worked hard with my doctors to get some of my underlying health issues resolved so I can get my weight in check.  2011 wasn't as successful in that realm as I wanted it to be.  I'm smaller and more compact but I didn't see the scales fall in line with that the way it should have.  I can, however, say that I feel better from head to toe.  I have more energy, I feel more balanced and I can do normal people things now without feeling like a fish out of water.  2011 is the year that I stopped relying on my anxiety medications and started really feel in control of my anxieties and fears.  I still get every cold possible and my allergies are totally out of control but I have energy and I feel stronger and more in control of my health every day. I still have some pretty serious hangups I need to address in the coming year but I'm going to do it with the love and support of those that matter most. 

Family.  2011 was not a great year for family and that's something I really want to work on in 2012.  Physically there's distance between me and my closest relatives but, more than that, there's a lot of emotional distance as well.  It's been a rough couple of years for us and, over time, we just fell apart.  I want to be more involved in my niece and nephews lives.  I want to feel involved with my sister and brothers lives.  I don't want to hear everything second hand from my mother.  I've always felt a little out of place in my family.  I'm very different from them in so many ways but they're my blood.  I want to keep them as close as possible.

Money.  Well my first full year in a real job certainly helped my financial situation but it's still been a rough road.  I've been working on budgeting and controlling my spending for the last few months and I'm finally starting to see some growth in my savings account and some progress towards paying off my student loans.  I hope to keep going in that direction.

My big goals for 2012 are as follows:

1. Lose 20% of my current body weight.  That would be about 60 pounds.  
2. Get off of at least some of my medications and supplements.
3. Get my Basic 2 and Zumbatomic licenses.
4. Get me GroupEx certification at the fall Apex event.
5. Reach my savings goals. 

I'm ready for a new year and that metaphoric blank slate. The promise of a new year just opens up so many doors.  It's just another day but it really does feel like stepping in to the future.  All the bad things that happened in 2011 still happened but, as of tomorrow, I can start putting distance between myself and them.  I can say "Oh that?  That's so 2011!"

I mean, I won't... not ever again.

Goobye 11.  Hello 12.  Hello life.

Simply awesome

Since Thursday everything has just been flowing beautifully.

Last night I had the honor of joining several Zumba instructors from the Rocky Mount are for their Zumbathon to benefit Operation Purple and Soldiers' Angels. It was a fantastic event and they raised over $700 for the two organizations with donations still coming in from those who couldn't be there.

I got to teach two routines.  I did Whenever, Whereever which I choreographed and End of Time which I learned from one of the NC Jammers.  It was the first time I'd participated in an event like that as an instructor and I was nervous but the folks seemed to love both routines and I had a great time just dancing with new people and learning from other, more experienced, instructors.  I happen to know there are pics of me teaching... when I get them I'll share them if they're not too embarrassing!

After that I got to go out to dinner with Marsh, Matt and one of my Zumba buddies and her husband.  It was fabulous! It was great to just sit and chat and share delicious, delicious Mexican food!

THEN! When I got home I had an email that made me squeal like a school girl! I PASSED the Hip Hop Hustle certification - written and practical.  I PASSED! I can't tell you how absolutely happy that news made me.

I'm about to order the AFAA study book so I can get my Group X instructor certification next February.  Knowing that I passed the HHH course gave me the push to just go for it.  My confidence is really starting to build.  Each little hurdle makes me want to hop over a bigger one.

This morning I had a great Zumba class at the YMCA and what happened after just made my heart happy.  One of the students, an older lady, came up to me and told me how much fun she had.  She told me she was just getting back in to working out after having surgery to remove skin cancer from several spots.  She said she felt like Zumba was something that would help her get fit and she wouldn't be bored or dread going.  She specifically asked what my schedule was and said she hoped to see me in class soon.

It's the moments like that which make me feel fulfilled in my role as a Zumba instructor.  I love knowing that people can come in to my class - first time or not - and find the joy in what we're doing.  I love that they come in, sweat, laugh and leave with a smile on their face (even if they want to hit me for trying to kill their legs!)

Tonight is my birthday celebration! Katie and I are going to see Paranormal Activity 3 followed by dinner and drinks in Greenville and then dancing at the gay bar.  I love The Mining Company! Great atmosphere and grope free dancing?  Yes, please!

Fitness Fanatic Weekend

That's what I jokingly called this weekend earlier today and it kind of stuck. 

I really feel like I spent today preparing for battle.  Picking my weapons. Packing my go bag. Organizing my life within an inch of insanity.

I'm totally stoked for Hip Hop Hustle tomorrow and even more so for Zumba Toning on Sunday. I'm completely addicted to Zumba and can't wait to add HHH to my repertoire.

I can honestly say I'm falling in love with Chalene Johnson, HHH and Chalene's general life philosophies.  I'm in the middle of doing the 30 Day Challenge and am already grateful for the lessons I've learned in the first 14 days.

I fully believe that I wouldn't have survived this week without my CCDM to-do list.  I've never been great at organization and her tips, tricks and ideas about what makes for a to-do list that will stick made it easy to get everything done. 

Now I can only hope that I not only survive, but thrive this weekend as I sweat through two hot, sweaty, intense licensure courses.