Life is like a box of Legos® ...

Whoomp ... there it is ...

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:20:00 +0000

"Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point." CS Lewis

And you thought it was going to be another "all about Wii" post ... ha! Fooled you... Here's the scoop ... I finished the 30 day challenge ... in 45 days ... at the end of June ... there were no fireworks, no parade, no grand feeling of accomplishment ... just a small surge of adrenaline while I tore threw the house doing last minute cleaning, packing, bill paying, and laundry ... so we could enjoy clean linens when we returned.

Then it was off to the land of my birth, Pittsburgh, PA ... to reunite with friends and family for 10 non-stop fun-filled days. Upon our return, there were four 10 - 12 hour days of preparation for our Bible School at church ... it was a rain forest theme ... and we constructed a 95 foot long bridge ... over not-so-troubled water. It was a foot bridge, with rope handrail ... Although, on second thought, it may have been a little troubled - or more specifically, I was a little troubled wondering why I scheduled my vacation so close to my commitment to crafting a hallway for VBS.

After a week of Bible School (helping with story time for 3 and 4 year olds ... that's another story in itself), I decided to start the Wii challenge for the 3rd time. Again, no fan fare, no parade, no nothin'. It was quite anti-climatic. I am 10 workouts in, in 18 days ... my son had strep throat and school started and a host of other excuses.   So I've stopped the Wii journal entries for now. Just know that I will probably mention it again. But there are other things to discuss ... it's not just about "Wii" you know.

So where does the C.S. Lewis quote come in? In hindsight, I need to give myself some credit for actually trying this challenge thing the 3rd time. Sure, my husband, who I adore, cannot stick with this for very long ... and has abandoned me to my own fate ... so I really am on my own here.   Me and my Mii. Running has not been consistent ... I blame the 100+ degree heat index because I have to blame something, as I'm trying to give myself a little credit.

Courage comes in many forms ... there are those who need courage to get up in the morning, courage to eat (or not eat so much), courage to breath, courage to face each challenge. When we look more closely, we see that we are courageous in so many unique ways. Courage to stand up to a bully at school(or at work), courage to face fears, courage to try something new, courage to stop something old, courage to organize (and re-organize) your legos (you can take that metaphorically if you'd like), anyway - you get the picture. There's a point here that should not be overlooked. I'm off now to continue building (rebuilding) my lego castle and think maybe about exercising ... again. But before I go, out of curiosity, from where or from Whom do you get your courage?
follow me on Twitter

Wii are poetry in motion

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:50:00 +0000

That's what the Wii Personal Trainer said this morning ... I strongly disagree. Jumping lunges are not my forte, but she said I was poetry in motion ... I think she was being patronizing and I resent that! And I resent the fact that I resent a digital personal trainer ...

My thoughts have rapidly spiraled out of control ... might be due to lack of sleep ... might be due to stress ... might be due to increased amounts of caffeine ... might be all of the above ... but all that aside, I only have two more workouts left in my 30 day challenge ... and I will finish it this time ... even if it kills me (metaphorically speaking, that is.)

I have completed 18 workouts in 45 days ... it's not pretty, and yes, I realize that means I have exceeded the 30 day challenge ... AGAIN, but who's counting? I mean, besides the Wii Personal Trainer ... I'm just looking for completing all 20 - and then starting AGAIN ... because I am a glutton for punishment and monotony ... and lunges.

Dare I mention how I feel about squats? Probably not ... it wouldn't be pretty, but it might be poetry ... in motion. Something like this -

To exercise or not ...
this is how I think -
Please don't make me do another squat -
but happily another cup of java I will drink.

My thighs cry out in pain -
Oh! the agony in those quads
If I do another set AGAIN -
upon the Wii I will trod ...

And stomp and destroy -
this so called "toy" does NOT bring Mii joy.
Not at all ... for who in their right mind
Would repeat this challenge grind?

Apparently the answer is my Mii
Off my rocker ... apparently.

Valor BD-3 Squat Stands
follow me on Twitter

There is no we in Wii

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Sat, 22 May 2010 16:13:00 +0000

It's just you ... or more specifically, me ... my Mii ... who I created 5 months ago, got a makeover this morning. I changed her clothes, gave her a new ponytail, and a pair of Ray-Bans. My 7 year old son, popped in while I was on my last exercise, and said, "Mommy, you look different ... is that really you?"

"Of course it's me ... who else do you think it is?"

"But you look different."

"In a good way?" (I am doing alternating lunges while having this conversation. It is also important to note that last Saturday morning, while we were having breakfast, my son commented that he thought I should lose some body fat ... not a lot mind you, just a little - so he said, because he didn't think my stomach was as flat as it could be.)

"Well, I guess in a good way."

"Well, I guess almost two weeks of consistent exercise is paying off!"

"No, Mommy, your Mii."

"What? I am you?"

"No, your Wii Mii looks different."

"Oh. Thanks for noticing ..."

"Why did you change your outfit and do your hair differently?"

"She was sweaty. (as I completed the last lunge)"

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

"OK then, keep at it." And then he ran back upstairs.

So, no ... there is no "We/Wii" - it's just "Me/Mii". Isn't that the truth? I have completed 8 workouts in 11 days in this round of the 30 day challenge but hesitant to declare any type of victory - I've been at this point before ... and, we're going to the beach for a week ... Maybe one day, either my husband or son will join Mii again ... and Wii can be in this together ... but for now, I'm on Mii own.

follow me on Twitter

I Wii'd but I didn't want to ...

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Fri, 14 May 2010 01:34:00 +0000

That's three workouts in 4 days ... (I took a rest day to regroup after day 2, it was exhausting - ok, not really) ... I dare not get excited about this ... yet. It's too easy to come up with reasons not to insert the disc into the Wii ... and click A on the Wii remote ... (um, my thumb hurts ... it does, I wouldn't make that up ... although, I might slightly embellish for conversational filler ... but ...
I think that I may be over-stressing it because of my blackberry - technology is dangerous to your health which is why I am using the Wii as a Personal Trainer ... in person personal training seems so, well, personal).

Anyway, I did it ... I didn't want to (on day three and day four) - but I did it. 26.2 miles seems far to me now ... just one step at a time though ... it all begins with the first step ... even if you have to take that first step more than once!

But that's another story.

follow me on Twitter

Wii have expired ...

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Mon, 10 May 2010 15:19:00 +0000

I'm not even sure I can type this without laughing ...
nope, I can't ...
well, anyway - my 30 day Wii Personal Training Challenge ... has officially expired.
No, really? You think? Considering I started it at the end of December, 2009 and it is now May 10, 2010?

Sure, I'll state the obvious, what the heck ... that's more than 30 days. Yes. I. know.

So I inserted the disc into the Wii this morning. The Wii has been relocated, just one of the countless reasons (legitimate and otherwise) that I have abandoned the Wii fitness challenge.

I inserted the disc - reluctantly ... after procrastinating for over an hour (drinking coffee, perusing facebook, even talked to my mom on the phone) - just didn't want to do it. I DID NOT want to go down that road again - fearing failure.

And then it hit me, "Lisa, you goof, you know you'll feel better - just do it for grins and a blog post (which you have also abandoned)." Spending most of the day alone tends to increase the amount one talks to oneself.

But then I couldn't find the Wii remotes ... and then I couldn't find the stupid leg strap ... and then I forgot my water, and then (after another 15 minutes of running up and down the stairs) I finally managed to click "A" to start.

I had to reset my goals (unfortunately, there was no 180 day challenge to complete 20 workouts). I had to fill in the daily journal (that was hilarious since yesterday was Mother's Day and I essentially "relaxed on the porch" the entire day - until I moved into the family room, where I relaxed on the sofa for the majority of the evening. Only pausing to do some laundry - because well, a day without laundry is just well, I don't know ... wrong somehow.

Where was I? The 30 day challenge. I slammed through that 1st day ... nailed it ... ok, well, sort of -I selected low intensity (didn't want to raise the bar too high, you know). I didn't even pause to re-watch the instruction videos. I figured that my body would remember how to do squats. I was right.

So, I'm Wii-starting the challenge. Let that be a lesson ... in what I don't know yet, but I'll think of something. It's 20 workouts... seriously, I think I can do this in 30 days. I managed to do 28 in 60 days ... surely, surely ... oh, and I've also decided to train for another marathon.

Dreaming big in Legoland ....

follow me on Twitter

Wii do care ...

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:06:00 +0000

It's not that I haven't wanted to continue my quest for fitness using the Wii Personal Trainer program ... it's just that for whatever reason (bronchitis, strep throat, sinus infection, and most recently bruised knee) I am physically unable.

No, really.

My last post intimated that I was close to finishing the 30 day challenge (and it would have only taken me 58 days ...) but then I got strep throat ... ow, ow, ow, ow ... and the pain of not exercising for two weeks is NOTHING compared to adult strep throat ... then came the sinus infection ... and then just when I thought I had suffered enough (already) ... I fell on my knee, gracefully, I might add, but scraped the first dozen or so layers of tissue off of it, currently have a scab about 2 inches in diameter, complimented with a lovely purple bruise underneath. I should post a picture.

So I am currently looking at completing the 30 day challenge in 100 days ... maybe, possibly, if I can keep healthy ... maybe, possibly.

But the good news is, that we've been playing with legos a lot.

;-)

Life is like a box of Legos® ...

Whoomp ... there it is ...

Wii are poetry in motion

There is no we in Wii

I Wii'd but I didn't want to ...

Wii have expired ...

Wii do care ...

Wii-started ... again

Wii are sick ...

Wiiiiiiiiiiii

A Wii Rest

Wii are on track ... well, sort of ...

A Wii slice of Heaven on Wii Day Eleven

All Zen on Wii Day Ten

Skip to Wii Day Nine - it's all Fine

New Tricks on Wii Day Six or No Slice of Heaven on Day Seven

Still Alive on Wii Day Five

A Wii bit more on Day Four

Wii Day Three

Wii Three Kings of Orient Are ...

One of those days

If you build it, they will come ...

WW - FALL!!!!

WW - Boundaries

I feel a little t'ick in the head

The back story ...