Throwback Thursday: The Time I Boated Down the Mississippi

In the link up yesterday, I mentioned that I traveled down the Mississippi River in a house boat. Because Holly is incredibly awesome, she took the time to read my link-up and commented that I should do post about the trip. I would have never thought about doing something like this because I focus so much on diet and exercise. However I really like the idea of giving some tidbits of my none fitness life. 

When I was in the seventh grade I received the worst news possible. We were moving. In the world of a 12 year old, moving away is life changing and devastating. But not only were we moving, we were going to travel down the Mississippi River from Red Wing, MN all the way to Cape Coral, FL. I was going to have to home school. I felt like a freak. Home schooling was not cool. And I am an only child on my mom's side of things, so I would be traveling/schooling alone. 

Now you might be thinking that this is the adventure of a lifetime. I think that now. But back then I was not happy about it.  My step dad had retired at an early age, and his life long dream/goal was to take his boat down the river. From the time that I knew my step-dad (he's been in my life since I was 5), he had a 41 foot Chris-Craft that he kept in a marina in Red Wing, MN. Every summer we would spend our weekends at the boat. To give you an idea of what the boat looked like, here is an image I found on Google: 

source

In the fall of 2002 the shit show (aka; my step dad, my mom, our two cats and me, the moody tween) piled onto this boat, and departed from our marina for the last time. As we left, I don't think I quite grasped what was happening. I was mad at them for not letting me go back to school with my friends (I am sure I was just a delight to be around), but at the same time I felt like we were just going on a vacation. 

It took us a month. It should have only taken us three weeks, however along the way we hit a tree stump, broke a prop, and were stranded in Demopolis, AL for a week, while we waited for the boat part. If I had to pick a place to be stranded, it would not have been Demopolis. Not because Demopolis was that bad, but because some of the other marinas we had stayed in along the way had pools, gift shops, and yummy seafood restaurants. 

This marina had none of that. It did however have a community TV with cable in the main office. However I got yelled at once by an old man because I tried to watch Clueless, and he didn't find the movie to be entertaining. He didn't know what he was missing. 

We stopped in some incredible cities, and marinas. We also stopped in some not so incredible places, but that was all part of the fun. We went through at least 20 lock and dams along the way. I got to boat past the St. Louis Arches, stay in the Kentucky Lakes area, and experience the Mobile bay area. 

And the most memorable part of the entire trip was crossing the Gulf of Mexico to get into Tarpon Springs, FL. It took an entire day. We had to duct tape our refrigerator closed because the waves from crossing the Gulf would have knocked the fridge open. Every time my step dad tells this story the waves get bigger and bigger. It started out that the waves were 3-4 feet high, then they were 5-6, then they 8 feet. In any case, it was very turbulent, hard to walk around, and one of our cats got sea sick, poor guy. For at least 8 hours we could not see land, but we did see lots of dolphins! Back then I was fearless, but now I think crossing the Gulf in such a tiny boat would be terrifying. 

In all honesty, it was an incredible trip. I loved spending so much time with my family, seeing so much of the United States, and soaking up so much culture. Home schooling was actually a pretty cool experience, and I didn't feel like a freak. Once we got to Florida I spent a month there, and then every other month I would fly home to stay with my dad, so being able to home school was actually pretty convenient. 

I feel like I could write story after story about this trip. And when I talk to my mom and step dad about it, each of us have different memories. It's funny how that works out! 

Finish the Sentence Link Up

Here is another round of Finish the Sentence with Jake and Holly! I love doing and reading these link ups! It's a fun way to get to know other bloggers and find new blogs.

My happy place... is at a bar. I love happy hour, or going out late night. I love being surrounded by people, being social, and having a drink in hand. My second happy place would be at a beach. I love pretty much any body of water.

Whatever happened to... Oreo O's cereal? I lovvvvved that stuff!

So what if I.... still own and watch VHS movies.

E! needs a reality show about... Me and my drunken adventures.

My go-to fast food meal is... as an ex-fat girl I have far far too many of these. Name a place, and I'll name my meal. Seriously, I don't like to play favorites. But if I had to pick just one it would be a veggie burrito bowl from Chipotle, I like to pretend it's sorta healthy.

You might not know that I... home schooled when I was in the 8th grade so that I could travel down the Mississippi River from Minnesota to Florida, on a house boat, with my mom, step-dad, and our two cats. And I would love to do it again someday!

The hottest quarterback in the NFL is... Aaron Rodgers. However he is pretty much the only quarterback that I know about, I am a baseball gal, not so much football.

If I could.... I would eat whatever I wanted and not gain a single pound.

My personality is awesome because... I don't take anything too seriously.

Twerking is.... something that I would like to see men do. Just saying.

I think it's super gross when... I have to pick soggy food out of the sink. Eww, I just shuddered.

Someone needs to tell Miley Cyrus.... that there is a big difference between sexy and raunchy.

Oh the Irony!

I just got done posting about my lower back pain last week, and literally right after I hit the publish button I went to a cardio class and re-injured my lower back. Can we say ironic?

We were doing burpees, followed by a large leap forward. This completely fucked my back, and not in a good way. I spent the next few days keeping it low key at the gym. Which is not easy for my new-ish fitness loving self. I get sooooo frustrated that my body cannot do what I want it to. Two years ago I would have used injury as an excuse to skip the gym for months ever. So there's that.

Anyway, since I seem to keep injuring that damn lower back of mine, I thought it would be nice to share some of the exercises I've been doing while in extreme pain.

I avoid doing squats, since that is pretty much what put me in the situation to begin with. But I love working my legs, so now I have been doing mass amounts of lunges, variations of lunges, wall sits, and sumo squats. But doing some of these have consequently given me a slight bit of knee pain. I am a disaster, I tell ya.

I also stopped trying to be a runner. I have always hated running, but I always wanted to like it. I don't try anymore. Not even a little bit. Running can be really hard on the body and joints, and it hurts my back and my knees. Soooo I dropped it like a hot potato.

In order to replace the cardio of running, I started cycling again. Which is easy on my lower back and knees. I also use the elliptical, and really concentrate on spiking my heart rate using intervals.

Overall I just try to listen to my body. If it hurts, I don't do it. And I really focus on stretching out my hip flexor, outer hips, and hamstrings. On a side note, I truly believe that the hip flexor is one of the most neglected muscles to be stretched. We are constantly using the hips flexors, which means they are super tight, and they effect a lot of other muscles.

And if you are looking for some great exercises to stretch out the hip flexor, this is a post.

Liebster Nomination 2.0!

So a little while ago I was nominated for a Liebster Award. However I was extremely clueless as to what the heck a Liebter Award was.

Well thankfully Rachel from One-Way Ticket to ONEderland has filled me in one what it means! And she also nominated me! So head on over to her blog post and read what the Liebster Award is all about. 

Since I have been nominated before I feel pretty silly going through all the motions again. But I do love reading blogs when people answer random questions, because I think you get to know them a little better. And because I am also so flattered that Rachel nominated me, Imma go ahead and answer Rachel's questions! 

1. Who is your embarrassing celebrity crush? Or just your publically acceptable crush? Hahaa

-Lance Bass, who is gay and officially off the market. But damn, as a preteen, I was hot and bothered by Mr. Bass. 

2. If you could hop on a plane and go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

-Greece or Italy

3. What is your favorite TV show?

-Rookie Blue, Castle, or Scandal. Clearly I love me some ABC shows, or maybe this just shows I don't have cable. 

4. What was the best family vacation you ever went on? Or if not a family thing….What was the best vacation you ever went on?

-I went to St. Thomas this past year for my step-brother's wedding. It was an incredible trip, filled with incredible people. My roommate came along, because she is basically part of my family. But it was also so fun to get to spend time with my step siblings, and the bride's family. I learned so much about all of them as people, and I really think it bonded all of us as a family! 

5.If you could meet one person living or dead, who would it be and why?

-Lucille Ball. I adore her, and the I Love Lucy Show. 

6. Who is your favorite musician?

-Conor Oberst or Tegan and Sara

7. What is the most important trait in a significant other?

-Humor. I am single, so I would like to think I will need humor in my significant other, but it will be so interesting if I still find that to be most important when I actually find my man! 

8. What is your favorite book or book series?

-Dry by Augusten Burroughs. I have loved every book he has ever written. 

9. What is your dream job?

-It's constantly changing. But overall I think it's safe to say I would love a job in fitness, so maybe a personal trainer, or a gym teacher.

10. What is your favorite song of all time?

-I have two: 

The District Sleeps Alone Tonight by the Postal Service 

And Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind



11. What is the most embarrassing thing that you have done?

-I really, really don't get embarrassed easily. However I would be absolutely mortified if I ever farted in a yoga class or any other quiet, relaxing atmosphere. I know, I know, it's a natural thing, and it could happen to anyone. But I would just die, and then be extremely distracted the rest of the time. 

Down and Out: Lower Back Pain

For the last year I have had some sensitivity in my lower back. I think that I spent too much time using bad squat form, and too much weight. I have a tendency to curve my lower back/pelvis forward while I squat, which puts way too much pressure on it. I tend to stand and squat with my back in position B.

Bad news. Ever since using bad form I have a lot of trouble with performing any sort of squat. About 3 months ago I went to a HIIT (high intensity interval training) class, and the instructor had us performing fast squats with 12-15 lb dumbbells. On this particular day I was feeling like a bad ass so I decided to pick up the 15s and squat at a really fast pace.

Immediately I felt a tinge in my lower back. And instead of leaving the class, I decided to finish it out. Terrible idea. I just have such a problem with walking out of classes. I feel weak or disrespectful or something. I have since learned my lesson; listen to my body.

Upon leaving the class I could barely walk, or sit without wincing. I got home and iced it immediately. And instead of seeking help from a doctor, I thought the best plan was to google at home remedies.

Google told me that it was best to use ice for the first 48-72 hours, and then apply heat and possibly foam roll, in case there was any sort of kink. However within 3 days it was very apparent it was not a kink. My whole lower back felt stiff, and I could barely bend over. In order to walk without experiencing pain I had to hunch over and walk similarly to an upright gorilla.


So after taking a few days off from the gym I attempted to try and work out. This was the most aggravating experience of my life. That might be a little dramatic, but it was really discouraging. I could not lift weights, I could not run, I couldn't even use the elliptical. The only thing I was able to do was the recumbent bike, which I find to be easy and boring. I left the gym near tears because I was so frustrated with my body.

After a full week away from the gym my back started to feel better so I started attending my normal classes. I would love to say that I have gotten my complete range of motion back but I haven't. I still can't bend over fully. I don't use weight when I squat, in fact I shy away from doing squats quite a bit. And if I sit in one position too long I always end up having a very stiff back.

So let this serve as a warning, when your body is telling you that something doesn't feel right, back off. Don't continue to push, you will regret it.

Cycling.

I recently wrote a post about my love for fitness. It took me a long time to love fitness. I have tried a lot of classes, exercises moves, and machines in order to find a combination that I enjoy. And my work out routine is constantly changing because I get bored easily. I thought it would be fun to do a series of posts outlining and critiquing the various things that I have tried.

So for this post I am going to focus on cycling. 

Description: A dim lite studio with rows and rows of slim bikes (usually these bikes are better than what you will find in the normal gym area). Each bike is adjustable, so you can get the perfect fit for your body. The instructor is on a bike in the front of the room, facing the rest of us. At my gym, the choreography and music of each class is decided by each individual instructor.

Duration: 55 minutes

Level of like (10) or dislike (0): 6-8. Some days I really love cycling. Other days I really hate it. For a long time I really loved cycling. I never missed a class. But then I got bored, and I stopped going as frequently. The problem for me is that the time seems to go by really slowly. Although lately I have found an instructor who plays great music, and sets up the choreography so it feels like the class is going by pretty fast. The best part about cycling is after the class is over, I always come out feeling really strong, and proud.

Benefits:
-Cycling is a great low impact exercise, and easy on the joints, such as knees or hips.
-Even though it's low impact, it's a high calorie burn, and can jump start the metabolism.
-It really tones up your leg muscles. I definitely noticed a difference when I started cycling.
-It's really great on the heart, and lowering chances of heart disease.

Advice for first timers: Be prepared for a sore tushy! Don't be afraid to ask questions. For cycling to be really effective you must have the perfect fitting bike. I think it's really smart for people to ask the instructor for help adjusting the bike. It's a really easy class to modify. You can adjust your resistance to whatever number is challenging for you, and the best part is that no one has to know what your resistance level is! 

Let's Play A Game.

It's going to be a drinking game. Shocking.

Anyway, the game is going to revolve around the show Extreme Weight Loss. So what you need is access to watch the show, an alcoholic beverage, and an emotional friend who cries easily.

Rules (they are pretty easy and straightforward):
1. Turn on Extreme Weight Loss.
2. Take a drink every time the emotional friend starts to tear up and/or cry over a touching moment in the show.

Yeah, that is pretty much it. And because I am such a sap, if you play this game with me you will get drunk pretty fast.
I seriously tear up or cry at so many moments in that damn show. Props to you ABC (and Chris Powell). Props to you.