First beautiful snow.. and my elbow hurts when I hold anything in my hand. So I spend the morning at my computer.. that way I won't do anything crazy like go xc-skiing in slopes and stuff.  I hope the typing isn't too bad for my elbow !

Lunch : tried Tofu for the first time at home.. with Peanut butter as desert.. whatever.. didn't feel like thinking about food.

XC-SKIING

1 hour on a trail I made going all around the  back yard. About 9 turns in one direction 4 in the other the round trip is 2 minutes, almost flat ground. (good pratice though)I did 30 minutes in one direction, 30 mins in the other direction.
AveHR 124 / MaxHR 148 / 364 calories / 46% fat

I was so mad at myself for hurting my right elbow, thought about it alot.. next time I'll listen to my cardio .mp3s not to think so much. I really just played on my skiis.. And appreciated how good it feels to be able to ski, and turn, and lift easily my skiis because I'm in much better shape this year. This is my first contact with skiing this year.. and (execpt for my aches and pains) it is very promising! :D

SATURDAY, December 17th 2005

XC-SKIING
weather : sunny, just below freezing, no wind
1 hour yard-skiing : a little more technical then yesterday.. but not pushing it yet.
AveHR 130 / MaxHR 152
My boyfriend did about 30 minutes, starting before me and that really encouraged me :D . He only got xc-skiis last christmas and sprained his ankle playing volleyball in february, so didn't do much last year. He had never tried yard skiing and really liked it. He  lenghtened the trail to go around the front of the house.. and I added two 200' straight lenghts so we could really mixe it up, even doubling the trails at times. We mostly skied in opposite directions so got to cross each other a couple of times.. for a stop-and-go kiss.

PHYSIO
yupp.. for my left shoulder, my right elbow and my right butt.
 this is ridiculus! LOL

PARTY
Ate and drank a little more than clean, but alot less than I could have!
It was the in-laws party, danced as much as there was dancing. We were about 60..

I actually had much more energy on the "line rock"  we danced  on "Footloose" than most of my neices and nephews who are in thier 20s and 30s :D and was one of the only ones to stay on the dancefloor for the next dance (no.. not alone.. I mean with others who hadn't just danced

SUNDAY, December 18th  2005  ~OFF DAY~

PHYSIO
I actually took the day off even from my physio exercises.

PARTY
Danced alot
It was the x-mas party of the Dance School. We had lots of fun mixing up the two styles of dance.. My boyfriend (Gabriel) is real great!

PHYSIO
I saw my Physiotherapiste this morning.. and finally, what caused my tennis elbow to flame up.. wasn't holding the DBs.. that was just the sign.  What caused it was probably  carrying papers like in a "pinch-grip" just for fun.. It's 5 days later and I only have 15 lbs prehension force in that hand.. and it's my dominant side! With my left hand I was at 82 lbs prehension..

Last year it was already a relapse from the year before.

Exercises : Continue the ones I have for the hamstring tendon. I have new exercise for the shoulder. Only rest  and some stretching for the elbow.
 

CARDIO ~ HIIT
43 mins total including :
8 mins warm-up on stationary cycle
8  x 2 mins-2mins
HIITs at resistance 10 ~ cross-ramp 10 ~ 13 -14 METs
Recuperation at  resistance 6~ cross-ramp 6 ~ 9 METs
3 mins cooldown

AveHR 134 / MaxHR 159 / 28 mins in-zone
I forgot my .mp3-voice-overs for the HIITs so I did the preprogrammed 2-2mins instead of 3-3mins.
 

PARTY at the gym (5 to 7)
Just some wine and a light buffet. Nice to take time to chat with people.

STRETCHING
I do all my physio stretches and about 10 minutes more general stuff..

MINI WORKOUT
Superset 4 times
25 knee push-ups
50 xc-skiier's back-extensions with double pole push action and alternating hip adduction

TUESDAY, December 20th 2005  

PHYSIO
Work was bad for my elbow today.. had to write alot with a pen. But I wore my tennis elbow strap so I hope I didn't worsten it. At noon I gave myself a "deep transverse massage". That hurts for the first 2 minutes, then the area goes numb. My physiotherapist really believes in it.

 I really need to read up on it more.. I just saw that :

quote :
"So far there is very little scientific evidence on mode of action and on effectiveness of friction. Only a few studies exist and more research is urgently needed. However, experienced therapists know in what kind of soft tissues they can expect good results with transverse massage and where the technique doesn’t work. Transverse massage either works quickly ( after 6 to 10 session) or not at all. Advices on indications, contra-indications and modalities of the technique that are given in this book rely solely on the expiences of its authors and not on scientific research."

STRETCHING
Same as yesterday :
I do all my physio stretches and about 10 minutes more general stuff..
 

MINI WORKOUT
Same as yesterday :
Superset 4 times
25 knee push-ups
50 xc-skiier's back-extensions

OFF TOPIC
I'm real glad I found how to have some sleek xc-ski pants.. I take my old Lycra Aerobics pants and just wear my soft black long-johns under them. I really feel like a pro! LOL I don't have the sleek top to go with it though..

LAST DAY AT WORK until january 9th !!

XC-SKIING
1h10 in the back yard. (see December 16th)

I think it's time I change the heavy 1 h 00 eliptical cardios I do on thursdays to skiing.

everything felt good.. so I think that my back extensions got me relaxed as I wanted to

I would have continued another hour.. the weather was fine.. and skiing at night.. with only the porch lights and the neighbors' x-mas tree lights was something quite special.. but with all my aches and pains.. I'd rather be prudent.

Most of the trails were filled in by new snow and because of the wind, it was great. It reminded me of the old trails in the 70's when the trails were made by skiers not by machinery. Which got me to thinking about all the trails that JackRabbit Johannsen must have opened. He is the one person in all my life that has motivated me the most towards fitness. And all that .. just by passing me on a ski trail in the 1970's when I was in my 20's and he was in his 90's.

NUTRITION
* coming home from work I completely pigged out on peanut butter! I'm definately a PeaNut Butter Junkie!  (Natural PB so no salt added) At least 600 calories of it.. but well..I figure I had to celebrate the begining of the holidays. and it ended up my only supper. But I am sort of discouraged about all the diet stuff, even if I am maintaining the 133 lbs (5'6").
 

PHYSIO
Mostly stretching.. for shoulder and hamstring tendon, some strength work for the shoulder.
some stretching for the elbow. My boyfriend gives my elbow a 10 minute "deep transverse massage" as the physiotherapist said to.
"Maybe" (but I don't believe it yet) I might be feeling some difference (better) in my hamstring stretch, and the massage for my elbow really did some good.

Christmas preparations all day. I would have much rather worked out.. remember.. this is the girl who skipped her highschool prom to go fencing.  But it will be good for me to take a break I think..

PHYSIO
I do all my exercises properly... with dedication..thinking about my skiing next week.
yupp!!.. some improvement in my hammies tendon.. When I stand feet  together and legs straight I can now put my palms on the floor.. just very slightly feeling where I hurt.

SATURDAY, December 24th

PLANNING 1

Strength Training There are  other sections (Aerobic Conditioning, Balance and Agility, Anaerobic Conditionning, Stretching) but I'll get to those some other time. *in red : overlapping exercises
xc-skiing Do continuous weight-bearing exercises repeated on either both or a single leg for 20-30 reps. Upper body : do exercises : 21: Core Cable Flys 30: Lunge Matrix/Combos (LB as well) 38: Seated Single-Arm Pulley Pushes 118: Pulley/Cable Row 120: Lat Pull-Downs to the fr and rear 127: Dips 132: Single-Leg Hip, Knee Extension/Pull-Down 133: Staggered Stance Cross Diagonal Row With DBs 136: Standing-Weight Shift Triceps Press Abdominals : 81: Supine Physioball Alternating Press 82: Squat to Double-Arm Overhead Diagonal Wall REach with Med.Ball 84: Single-Leg Stance Trunk Side Bend with Med Ball 85: Standing Single-Leg Abdominal Challenge With Dynamic Partner Resistance 86: Single-Leg Balance Overhead Double-Arm Tubing Challenge Lower body : 24: Standing Push-Pull Core Rotations 29: Anterior Lunge With Opposite Knee Reach 30: Lunge Matrix/Combos (UB as well) 31.1: Lawnmower Pulls to a Row or an External Rotation (assissted single leg stance) 32: Double-Arm combination Row Squat 101: The Basic Hop 101.2: Lateral  135: Shoulder Butt Burner Combo	canoeing Upper body : To help symplify this program, choose two from the rowing exercises : 118: Pulley/Cable Row 119: Bent BB Row  131: Single-Arm DB Row  133: Staggered Stance Cross Diagonal Row With DBs 134: Prone Reach/Row/Kick-Back  choose one from each of the following groups : 123 : Lateral DB Raise  or 124: Front DB Raise 126: Triceps Extensions   or 127: Dips 111: DB flat Bench PRess  115: Push-Up   or        130: Single-Arm DB Row  do exercises 139: DB Palms-Up Wrist Curl 140: DB Palms-Down Wrist Curl Abdominals : do exercises : 78.5: Lower Abs Progression 79,2 : Upper Abs Strengthening or 92: Supine Crunch on Physioball 82: Squat to Double-Arm Overhead Diagonal Wall REach with Med.Ball 84: Single-Leg Stance Trunk Side Bend with Med Ball 88: Kneeling Ab Dolly/Roller Core Challenge 93: Supine Ball Toss with Partner Lower body : (for portages) 29: Anterior Lunge With Opposite Knee Reach 95: Squat 97: Lunge
It would take me a very long time to figure out how to mix the two programs properly and considering my present strenghs, weaknesses, aches and pains, equipement available and time. I'll ask the chief trainer at my gym (who is a phys ed teacher I trust) to see how he would do it for me.

PHYSIO
exercises for shoulder, hammies tendon and elbow.
 I start some Therapy Putty handling between my fingers, but only a few seconds  with my elbow really bent

I decide to stop taking the anti-inflammatories.

PARTY
Dine and Dance

Christmas party at the dance hall in Montréal where we go most often. It's also our 8th anniversary of being together.
	Do-Ré-Mi Stardust With a christmas tree in the middle of the dance floor and lots of happy, smiling dancers, including us. The atmosphere is really magial.c I think that since X-mas is usually a family affaire, it brings all of us closer. We are  truely with our dance family.  An absolutely perfect evening.

SUNDAY, December 25th 2005

Merry Christmas!

TUESDAY, December 27th 2005

Two days of feasting with loved ones, and now we're off to Québec City .. hopefully for some skiing. I'll log when I come back.

At Bernard and Céline's place for three days. Got a chance to marvel at Saturn  .. Very special to see the planet's rings for real through a telescope and not on picutres. Also gazed  at Orion's Nebulus  and Mars. I've been into Star Gazing for a long time.. so I love a chance to get a closer look. Love the winter sky.. but sh*t it's cold outside at night!

WEDNESDAY, December 28th 2005

XC-SKIING
Camp Mercier
AM 1h17 / 526 calories / AveHR 135 / inZone 50 minutes
PM 1h46 / 739 calories / AveHR 137 / inZone 1h26
Round trip starting at "CAMP MERCIER" + going on trails
# 30 -10 - 11 - 13 - Le Pic - 03 - La Gélinotte - 12 - 11 - 10 - 30

of course the pictures are never in the real fun or difficult spots

	Grey Jay at the "La Gélinotte" Cabin. There were quite a few and not shy at all. We took turns feeding them.   They specially liked the big chunks of fruit-cake.

THURSDAY, December 29th 2005

XC-SKIING
Duschenay
AM 1h00 / 435 calories / AveHR 144 / inZone 54 minutes
PM 1h16 / 520 calories / AveHR 135 / inZone 1h02
Round trip starting at "HORIZON" + going on trails
# 1 - 7 - 8 (for 0.5 km) - 10  - La détente - 10  - 2 - 1 

Once I realized that the reason I sometimes couldn't do the proper body movement  was that I wasn't always transfering my weight from one foot to the other things went much better. It's crazy how I could have forgotten that from one year to the next!

Long hills up.. long hills down.. (more info to come)

	A well deserved lunch break. Gabriel, Mary-Lou, Bernard, Céline, Johann