T-3 days

Well, we are getting that much closer. 

Yesterday was self-care day. Chiropractic adjustment and deep tissues massage.

My body was MESSED UP.

The stress of wedding planning is definitely taking its toll. It's no joke.

So, I didn't work out today. 

Because sometimes you just have to listen to your body. Even when your default is to do something different. 

So what happens 3 days before a wedding?

Well, hotel gift bag drop offs...

Cute notes from kiddos because its their last time seeing you as a "Ms." ...

Trying on the dress. You know, just to make sure. 😃

I may or may not have been doing some domestic housework in my heels. You know, to break them in.

Folding 150 programs. With old TV shows in the background.

Laundry is going on in the background, too. 

Because I need to start packing for my wedding.

And there is still a list of things to do.

But currently I am waiting for my fiance to come home with take-out. Because we have both had one of those kind of days. 

Continuing to breathe...

The end of wedding planning is near. 

Do what makes you happy. 

poke poke

Oh, hello, 5 days out.

The best word(s) to describe how I am feeling?

Excited.

Stressed. 

Overwhelmed.

Grounded. 

Anticipatory (is that a word?).

Stressed.

What, dessert?

Wine?

Oh.

Excited.

And I keep getting reminders of feeling ALL of those things. 

Like this prognosis from my astrology guy:

Damn, you Mercury Retrograde! Do you not understand that I am signing a marriage license AND ketubah this weekend?!?! Really?!?!?!

And then I get emails like this:

LOVE IT.

But whatever.

So it's a balance.

It's like the universe reminding me (poke poke!) of that yin and yang. LOL.

So I just take it in and remember to breathe. It will ALL get done.

And be AMAZING.

Can't wait.

Today's leg workout:

Do what makes you happy.

Like peak week...

This wedding week is feeling a lot like a bodybuilding peak week.

Or marathon taper week.

All the hard work has been done.

All the "heavy lifting" so to speak. 

Now it's just fine-tuning a few things and making sure you are well-rested and healthy going into the big event.

Sort of. 

Except it feels like there are still a lot of little random things to take care of.

Things you can’t do until the week of.

Kind of like in bodybuilding competitions.

Like you can’t get your tan or polygraph (if you are doing all natural) until the week of. 

Or you can’t pick up your race packet until the week of.

So this really does feel like that.

And I seriously feel like I'm treating it similar to a week like that.

More concerned about my sleep.

My hydration.

The weather.

My emotional well-being.

Taking stuff like this:

We’ll see how well it works.

I’ve been told from former-brides (as in, now wives!), that this is the most stressful week.

And I know my honey and I are already feeling it.

It’s a great test to see how we deal with stress.

But something I am committed to during this whole process, something we are both committed to, is to stay connected to us. Stay connected to why we are doing this.

So in those moments of frustration, we cuddle. We have physical contact. PG contact. Maybe PG-13. That’s all we need. The rated-R version … well, I have former students reading this blog! And my parents. LOL.

Counting down the days…

Today’s back workout:

Do what makes you happy. 

The land of "last time"s...

We're a week out from our wedding.

Quite literally.

We have a 5pm ceremony, so a week from now, I will be officially married.

It's crazy to think about.

It's like something you've been preparing for for a very long time yet doesn't seem quite real...

Or dreaming about since the thought of "being married" was on the radar.

It's an interesting sensation, that's for sure.

Because now IT'S HERE.

Beginning tomorrow I will be entering the land of "last time"s.

Like, this is my last Monday teaching my Monday night private piano students as "Ms." Larissa.

Or my last Tuesday "Date Night" unmarried.

Or my last Wednesday at my women's group as a single lady.

Or my last Thursday running errands for my wedding (because they will ALL be done by this point!).

Or my last day at school as "Ms. Smith."

Or my last morning waking up in the arms of my "fiance" (as opposed to my husband).

Or my last Sunday morning run unmarried...

Again.

Weird. 

Surreal.

But I intend to embrace it all and be present with whatever emotions arise.

Oh, I did workout this morning! I haven't since Wednesday! Gotta get my 4 days in.

I experimented with eating breakfast before working out...

Fail.

I nearly puked.

But that's OK.

I didn't.

And I reemphasized how I cannot eat large meals before workouts.

Lesson learned.

Today's hamstring workout.

Do what makes you happy.

Oh look ... pie!

It’s the day before a long weekend.

Some of us are traveling.

Some of us are chilling at home.

Some of us are working.

But whatever it is we are doing, long weekends like this, especially the Thanksgiving variety, always invoke a sense of wanting to relax and reset a bit.

It might be the season of gratitude.

It might be the time with family (though often stressful).

Whatever it is, there is a hope to come back to work Monday morning feeling slightly refreshed, albeit a bit stuffed. LOL!

But remember, the Thanksgiving meal is just ONE meal. You don’t have to go all out for the entire weekend. Yes, I’m sure there are a lot of opportunities to indulge a bit more than usual, but you can make that choice. 

No judgement.

(I do love me some pie!)

“How do I want to feel?”

I know I want to enjoy myself and all the yumminess that is bound to happen.

But I also want to be able to breathe in the dress I need to wear next weekend.

The kind I only get to wear once.

LOL.

So I probably won’t go too overboard this weekend. 

But that’s just me.

Enjoy the time.

Take time to reset a bit, maybe even take a moment to reflect upon the things for which you are thankful.

Today’s shoulder workout:

Do what makes you happy.

A good question to ask

My brain is tired.

It's the day before we get off for Thanksgiving break.

Folks are already in break mode.

I already noticed that the traffic was lighter on the way to school today.

Teachers are ready for a long weekend.

The kids are ready for a long weekend.

We're ALL ready for a long weekend.

Time to regroup, spend time with loved ones, eat some good food, relax.

Yet it won't be total relaxation on my part.

I'm really hoping to get all those itty-bitty wedding details taken care of (you know, like stuffing hotel guest bags, finalizing seating, printing escort cards and menus, finishing my vows, etc.) ...

... so that next week I can really relax and enjoy the last few days leading up to my wedding.

Because the last thing I want is to be stressed and tired.

That is NOT how I want to feel.

I mean, I realize there will be an element of that regardless, but if I can manage it even just a little bit...

Here's hoping!

So I ask myself, "How do I want to feel?"

This is an AMAZING question to ask yourself every now and again.

I listen to an awesome podcast every morning, "The Daily Boost" by Motivation to Move, and that is a question its CMO (Chief Motivation Officer), Scott Smith, asks every Friday.  

"How do I want to feel?"

A great question to ask before sitting down to eat a huge Thanksgiving dinner, too... 😉

Or going into a long weekend. 

Try it out.

Today’s leg workout.

Do what makes you happy. 

It will all get done

You know all those things you say you’ll do “later”?

Well, “later” has shown up for me.

BIG time.

And it’s not “later” in the procrastination sense.

It’s “later” in the there-was-no-way-we-could-have-done-this-earlier sense.

[this is all wedding-related, by the way]

Or it wasn’t quite the priority. 

So it’s a lot.

But it will all get done.

It has to.

It always does, right?

Somehow.

Lots of late nights and early mornings. 

LOL.

So, I’m not too too concerned about it.

But I’ll definitely be relieved once it is, so I can have a little peace of mind before the actual day itself.

I suppose that’s the importance of finding that in the pockets of your day, which I try to do as much as possible.

For now, just breathe.

It will all get done, one day at a time.

Today’s back workout:

Do what makes you happy. 

Inner gym rat

As my fiance and I were having breakfast this morning, he jokingly (and lovingly), referred to me as a "gym rat". Probably because I had just come back from the gym. 

I gave him a look (I'm sure it will turn into my wife "look" ... LOL!) and replied, "I am NOT a gym rat." 

Hmph.

What is a "gym rat" anyway? 

According to Urban Dictionary:

A gym rat is "one who spends entirely too much time partaking in muscle building, strength training, cardiovascular, or aerobic activity. Specifically, one who does so at a health club or gym."

Gotcha.

I will admit to being a gym rat in the past.

But now?

I lovingly replied to him, "I workout 4 days a week for about 45 mins ... that's barely 3 hours a week! How is that being a gym rat?" 

And to look good in a wedding dress, for that matter.

Well, I do it for more than that, but that is my more immediate goal.

#15days

But it got me to thinking about how things change.

Yes, I was definitely a "gym rat" before. But my goals were different. 

[that being said, I don't really like the term "gym rat" because I don't see it begin excessive if you are working towards something that requires a lot of training in order to succeed]

I was training for a marathon.

Or an Ironman.

Or a figure competition.

Ironman training was by far the most time consuming. (3 sports, 3 times a week, 2 strength days = 11 workouts, 2 of which were looooooooong ... 20 hrs/week!)

But now? 

I want to minimize the time I spend but get the most bang for my buck.

I know once I start training for something again, or have a more specific goal, I will spend more time at the gym.

For now I am happy with how things are.

It's my lifestyle.

And yes, I do have an inner "gym rat" for sure. That part that enjoys being in the gym way too long. Just not letting her out at the moment...

Today's hamstring workout:

Embrace your inner fill-in-the-blank "excessiveness".

Do what makes you happy. 

Haste makes waste ... and other musings

In our elementary music classes we study a composer each month.

It's super cool actually.

It's neat knowing that we are often these students' very first introduction to some of the world's greatest composers.

This month we are studying Beethoven.

On top of that, we learn about a musical word each week.

This week it's "sonata".

No, not Hyundai. LOL!

So, being that Mr. Beethoven composed 32 piano sonatas, of course we are listening to some of his piano music.

More specifically, his most famous and familiar: The "Moonlight" Sonata. 

I like to play this recording of the 3rd movement:

I actually had my students in my advanced high school piano class learn this piece for their recital 2 years ago. They weren't quite at the ability level to tackle the 3rd movement so I decided to take it on myself. 

It was a nice challenge and I actually enjoyed preparing for it.

But I played it waaaaaaay slower than that amazing pianist did.

Well, maybe not waaaaaay slower. But a few metronome markings lower.

I actually have a recording of myself playing it and tell my students after the fact that it's me.

They get a kick out of it.

Then I play them a "presto" version of it.

And I find myself telling them what I always tell my piano students: never play anything so fast that you can no longer play the notes correctly. 

Not faster than beautiful. 

Not so fast that you no longer honor what the composer has written. 

And it kind of reminds me of life. 

Like trying too hard. 

Or rushing through things.

It gets sloppy. 

You have to meet yourself where you are.

If you jump ahead to where you want to be, that often doesn't get you there. Because you didn't take the necessary steps to get there. 

So meet yourself where you are.

Accept where you are.

Because only from there can you get to where you want to be.

A TBT to a past performance (which reminds me of how much I love playing and collaborating with others):

CLICK ON THIS LINK (the video wouldn't upload)

Today's shoulder workout:

Meet yourself where you are.

Don't rush through things.

Do what makes you happy. 

One foot in front of the other...

...because sometimes that's all you can do.

One day at a time. 

One hour at a time.

That's my life right now.

Working 1 1/2 jobs AND wedding planning puts you in that position. 

And with the little bits of time you have left? You prioritize things that are important to you.

For me that happens to be working out. Because otherwise I would definitely be “bridezilla”. 

Thus the blog. LOL.

I workout = I write.

It’s a nice creative outlet since I sure as heck haven’t been playing much piano recently. 

Spending time with my fiancé is another priority. Obviously. 😃

Yes, we spend TONS of time together because we are immersed in all this wedding planning. But finding time for “us’, the point of ALL of this, is super duper important.  

Weekly date nights are definitely a “thing” for us.

And that’s about all I have the energy for at the moment.

I hang out with some friends, but that’s mostly wedding-related. 

And I have to be OK with that.

Because there’s a part of me that wants to a good friend to all my friends which I really can’t be right now. 

Again. That’s OK. I have to accept that.

We go through phases in life. 

This is one of them. 

Which will all enter a new phase in 17 days…

Today’s leg workout:

Do what makes you happy.

One step at a time. 

Eyes wide open

I'm feeling inspired.

I went to go support one of my girlfriends at her bikini competition this past weekend. 

I did that 5 years ago, too. 

And got hooked. 

And started competing myself. 

So, she was my initial introduction and inspiration to the sport. 

And it's interesting watching shows now, knowing, empathizing, with the competitors. Understanding what they are feeling. What they went through to step on that stage. 

Because some of them make it look soooooo easy.

Like posing. 

(ummm...Nicole Wilkins!)

Walking in those heels with grace.

It is soooooo FREAKIN' hard.

Especially when you are used to wearing flats all day!

And anyone who knows me well will tell you that "graceful" is not a word they would necessarily use to describe me ... LOL!

And the bodybuilders and their poses?

That's no joke.

It's like a workout. Seriously. Constantly squeezing those muscles, making them pop. That's why they are shaking on stage.

Not to mention that they are dehydrated and hungry...

Hangry, really. LOL.

So, I'm still inspired and motivated to do another show. Even with the knowledge of what goes on behind-the-scenes and how hard it can get.

Going in with EYES WIDE OPEN.

No sugar.

No alcohol.

A very strict diet.

You can't really eat out as much, if at all.

There are many things you have to temporarily give up.

You're constantly tired. 

But I'm curious. I'm curious to step on stage again and see what has transpired under this layer of fat over the past few years. 

[and that's not a self-criticism. That's literally what the dieting does: reveals the muscle underneath that protective layer of fat]

We'll see. 

Wedding first.

Because that's what I've been training for...

With my eyes wide open. 

Speaking of which. We applied for a very important wedding-related certificate this morning… 😃

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!

Today's back workout:

Do what makes you happy. 

Be motivated by what inspires you. 

Be your own superhero

Sometimes we just need to be our own superhero.

My future husband has really gotten me more into Marvel and DC Comics films. 

Like, it's a thing.

We try to see the movie the day it comes out. Even if it turns into a late night.

We've been together through...

Deadpool

Civil War

Dr. Strange 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Logan

Wonder Woman

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Thor Ragnorak

Lots of good flicks.

But it got me to thinking about the qualities of these superheros.

Courage. Ability to face fear. Honesty. A strong moral compass. Intelligence. Motivation. A sense of responsibility. High tolerance for pain (!!!!). Fighting spirit. Commitment. Compassion. An element of uniqueness. Loyalty. Humor. 

I think these are all qualities a lot of as naturally embody.

You had no idea you were a superhero, did you?  

The cape’s in the closet, right?

LOL.

All joking aside, we are ALL superheroes. Seriously. You are a superhero to someone and you don’t even know it. Especially if you interact with kids in some way. Because a lot of the time they look at adults as superheroes.

Even if you don’t deal with kids a lot, recognize your own inner-superhero-badassness. Because it’s there. 

For realz.

This morning’s haphazard hamstring workout (I showed up. That is all. LOL.)

Be your own superhero.

Do what makes you happy. 

Abs are made where?

I've been watching a lot of superhero movies recently.

Thor. Wonder Woman. Wolverine. Civil War. Superman.

And when you look at a lot of these actors who portray super heros, they really LOOK the part.

Why?

Because they look strong. Physically capable. BIG.

And in those shirtless scenes (for the guys, of course!) ... RIPPED.

Those 6 packs are popping! Vascularity going!

And then we look in the mirror and think "Why don't I look like that? How on earth do they even look like that?"

They work hard. They train hard.

Trust me, none of them were born that way.

Thor:

Wolverine:

Captain America:

Peter Quill: 

And the key ingredient? 

They EAT CLEAN. 

Just take a look at this video interview of various actors about their roles and how they prepared for them.

"The Rock", Chris Hemsworth, Hugh Jackman, Sly Stallone, Ben Affleck, etc...

The over-arching theme is: diet.

It all comes down to the diet.

And eating to meet your goals.

Clean proteins, clean carbs and veggies.

No sugar.

No alcohol.

Proper meal timing. Frequent meals. Appropriate portion sizes.

That's it. Literally. It's ALL about the diet.

I know that might be hard to hear, but it's the truth.

If you want to transform your body, you will temporarily have to give up certain foods you may enjoy. Eating the way you enjoy. 

It takes time, but it is possible. 

I can definitely speak from experience. 

Here is a throwback of what my diet plans used to look like:

Crazy. I know. But that's reality.
(also remember this is literally a snapshot and tailored to what my physique looked like 3 weeks out from a show)

So, do not be deceived what you see on the screen or in magazines.

It takes work.

But it so worth it.

And boy do they WORK.

Today's shoulder workout:

Do what you love.

Hard core.