Dogs and exercise...

are normally a pretty good combination in my opinion. You get to get a workout in while spending quality time with the fur babies who also are getting their exercise, how could it go wrong? Let me show you how it can:

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TROUBLE!

Don't let them fool you! They may be all cute and adorable but it's all an act. I've taken them for walks around other places we lived and they were fine. Today was a whole different story. They wouldn't listen to me at all. It only ended up being a 10 minute walk today because of their behavior but at least it was something. It wasn't a slow walk, it was a brisk pace and I worked up a little bit of a sweat. I wasn't pouring buckets of sweat, but hey, at least there was some and I could tell my heart rate was up. That could be due to me getting irritated with my pups though lol….kidding. 

I think that another factor was that I decided to do it at noon so it wasn't a cooler part of the day and that's really when I believe it would be best to walk them. They were panting horribly when we got back to the house…you would've thought that they had been running around for a half hour or so. I'm also thinking that this will be more successful if we take them to the track near us so I'm hoping to be able to do that by Monday at the latest. I may attempt to walk them around the subdivision tomorrow but not in the middle of the day. 

It's About Time

My dad is sooooo kicking my butt with workouts. I have not worked out in over two months and I'm the one who came up with this idea…smh. Anyways. since I'm not always able to get to the gym I found something to start doing. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to start taking my dogs on walks around the subdivision with me and work my way up to a run. On nights and weekends I'm hoping to get Rob involved and take the dogs to either the track or a new park I discovered. Both are fairly close to the house and I figure that if I can't start doing that, there's no hope for me. Plus, this gives my dogs a chance to get out and get all the exercise they need as well. We live in a condo so we can't just let our dogs out in a backyard and run around, but I can bring them on runs with me…woot!

Btw, I would start today but once again I procrastinated on schoolwork and I have some assignments due today. I actually wrote about that on my other blog That Other Jenn…so I'm off to write some wonderful papers.

Sunday is pool day!!!!

After passing up on my Thursday workout time due to some unforeseen circumstances, it was hard to believe that I was back at the YMCA at 8 a.m. for another one-hour pool walk this (Sunday) morning. It was actually fun, but weird at the same time.

I was battling a sore right shin, which doesn't outside the pool, but hurt in the pool. Still did 55 full laps (wall to middle of pool and back or 110 half-lengths, roughly 1,325 yards). I could have done 60 laps if I didn't get cocky the very first thing.

I was on the swim team my senior year of high school. Well, I got to my turnaround point and thought, I can swim that short distance. OMG!!!!!!! I am so out of shape. That swim into the deep end and back to the 5-feet mark felt like 500 yards. I thought I was going to die, but I survived. It cut down the number of walking laps in my first 15-minute segment. I can do roughly 15 full walking laps (25 yards each) and my 15-20 deep knee bends in a 15-minute segment. That translates to 60 walking laps or 1,600 yards or 0.9 miles, not bad for an out-of-shape overweight papa. I may have to rethink the walking-swimming combo in two months, maybe not. I should be walking more, so maybe I'll still be able to. Anyways, it felt good to have two pool walking sections in less than a week.

Now I need to get my younger daughter (Katie) to get out of bed with me on Sundays. She just growled and rolled over this morning after telling me she wanted to go yesterday. Damn teenagers anyways! I still love her though.

Well, I guess that's it for now! I'll go for another update Tuesday after another pool session.

Bye for now! Love ya Jenn!!

Shoutout to my Dad

I just wanted to give a shootout to my dad for doing so well. He's been telling me how his eating habits have changed, and now he took his first step for starting to workout at the gym and I'm just so proud of him! Love you Dad and keep up the good work!

YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!

   I got in the pool for the first time Tuesday and did an hour of walking to start my fitness program and IT FELT GREAT on my knees and back!!!! It was the first time, other than coaching a softball or soccer game of Katie's, where I was actually moving most of the hour straight.
  
   I know I wasn't sprinting, but just the walking felt good and I'm excited about doing it again. I actually joked with Keri about going again this morning, but Wednesday morning isn't a normal day off for me. She has some doctor's appointments and test to do so I took a vacation day today, but looked at the pool schedule at the YMCA and I have figured out a three-day schedule I am going to start following. Of course, Tuesday from 7:45-8:45 a.m. will happen much every Tuesday. I'll actually start the week on Sunday mornings (pool open 8-11 a.m.) Probably try to get in first thing at 8, a good reason to get up and get going before church. The final day looks like Thursday nights 7:45-9 p.m. when I'm not covering a game.

   I know it doesn't sound like the most physical way to work out, but I'm over 400 pounds and, like I said last time, very limited stamina right now. It's baby steps as far as exercise, but better than none. I alternated from small strides and normal walking stride to vary the initial workout and went in four 15-minutes segments. The break between each segment wasn't a rest, but a moment to do 15-20 deep knee bends (getting into a baseball catcher's position) in the 3-foot end of the pool. I didn't count how many laps (technically half-laps to the 5-foot-5 water mark since I haven't learned how to walk underwater yet or about 13 yards in the 25-yard long four-lane pool.) My real goal will be to combine walking and swimming full 25-yard lengths within two months and, hopefully, swimming full lengths within four months. I was on the swim team in high school so I know what my workouts were like back then and will attempt to recreate those workouts from 38 years ago in the future. Something I could actually do the rest of my life, maybe even join the Cortland Masters Swim Team for the old folks. I think I could take those 60-70 year old guys someday. LOL! They are good!

    All I know is I was tired later in the day, but I also felt a new energy after the first day. It does feel weird when you first get out of the pool and your legs feel a lot heavier than they really are, but I'm sure that will pass with time also. All I know is I look forward to getting back in the pool soon and get into the regular pattern of working out.

    I wouldn't started doing this without Jenn's suggestion that we do something like this, even though we are states apart. Keri has been bugging me to do this and I should listen to her better also, but now there just seems to be a new purpose in trying all of this. Thanks Jenn for the suggestion and thanks Keri and Katie for also being my New York motivation.

    I guess that will do it for now, but I'll have more to say soon!

Time For A Change....

So I decided that the blog needed a change...and I'm pretty sure my dad is not going to like it. I tried not to be too girly in picking  a new background, but I didn't like any of the sports themes or not so girly ones either lol. Sorry dad, but it looks good!

Also, I did decide to create a new blog as well. I've only got the layout and design done, but I will be posting a "welcome" entry either tonight or tomorrow. The new blog is http://thatotherjenn.blogspot.com/

I hope all of you start following me on that one as well....well, the 3 of you that read this anyways lol.

Also slacking!!

My little girl is sooooo much like her father! lol

It took me a long time to finally find what I really wanted to do and to find the person I really wanted to spend all my time with. I'm in my 16th year with my loving wife (Keri), along with our daughter Katie (13), and of course, Jenn. Longer than both my previous marriages combined.  I'm also in my 13th year as a sportswriter at the Cortland Standard newspaper. Twice as long as I've held any other job.  I did both of these things after turning 35 so Jenn, you still have time to find your true path (hee hee). I know you're headed that way with Rob and with all the hard work you're doing with college.

I understand the time to find to working out is hard. I've been in the same boat. I was in Albany for two days three weeks ago covering the state wrestling finals while also covering sectional volleyball in Syracuse. One week later, in Binghamton covering sectional basketball action. Tougher to eat right being on the road so much, but I've did do better than previous road trips. The traveling did allow me to get some more workout type clothes so the trips were a positive in that direction.

I did get a membership at the YMCA here in Cortland as well. Looking to do some lap-walking for starters in the pool starting Tuesday. Will try that once or twice a week with at least one trip to the equipment room (maybe two depending on the pool) for a total of three days a week. This is a man with no stamina right now so I need to start slow and survive to begin with, plus the lap times at the pool are only from 5:30-9 a.m. in the morning and I still have to be to work by 6:30. It means getting up earlier in the morning and going to bed earlier at night even though I still cover things at 7 p.m. some nights during the high school sports season. It just needs to be done. It's all because I need to be there for Keri, who is not in the best of health physically, and for my daughters here in New York and Tennessee. I love them all so much and need to be the person that can turn to for a long time.

I knew this blog would be a good idea when Jenn asked to start and I think it will pick up as we both get more active in the working out phase and get things into a better routine.

Jenn, I know we've been talking and things have been rough, but I also know things are going to get better. In fact, they have already gotten better. You're stubborn like your old man, but you're also very loving like your old man. It took us some time to discover that with each other and it has only helped us become closer now. You're setting your course that you want with the man you love. That's more than half the battle. It's time we wage our little battle even though we are in different states so that we make our families proud and become even better people for them. I hope you're ready because your old man wants to kick your exercise butt.

I love you!

Dad

What's up peeps? I know, I know, it's been like almost 2 months since I last posted and I said I wouldn't get so behin in posting again...my bad. I don't have much of an update on gym time and getting fit because the truth is, I haven't really been going. I keep using the excuse that I don't have time and I have too much going on, well it's time for me to stop making excuses! As you all know, I'm loving The Biggest Loser now and this season is all about No Excuses...how fitting. I can say I've been eating less at least, so yay me! Don't take away my happiness for that, just let me have that self happiness right now, ok? Anyways, since I don't have much of an update on that, I feel I should at least update everyone on the craziness that has been my life the past couple months.

First off, about a week ago, I quit my job. Now I know some of you are like What? Are you crazy? This has been a long time coming...I was very unhappy and it was going to be so long before I was hired on from being a temp. Bottom line, it just wasn't what I was looking for and it wasn't a good fit. My next update is verrrrryyyyyyy exciting, well at least to me it is.

I finally signed up as an independent Scentsy consultant! You may be wondering why I'm so excited over this, well it's simple, it's because I LOVE Scentsy! Anyone who knows me knows I have loved candles forever, so this made perfect sense for me. It's a better, safer way to make your home smell ah-mazing! The warmers use a low-watt lightbulb to melt the wax. Oh, and they're cheaper and last longer than candles, in addition to having much better scents that you can also mix and match to create your own scents. If you want to learn more about it, check out my website: https://jennlynn831821.scentsy.us/Home  and also feel free to "like" my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-Costley-Independent-Scentsy-Consultant/311615048899643  :-)

Like how I did a little self promoting there? Lol.

My last update is probably the most exciting and most stressful at the same time. We're officially house hunting! We've decided we want to finally pick one place to settle down and turn a house into a home, complete with a big, fenced in backyard for our dogs to run around in! So needless to say, any tips on the whole buying a house thing, will be greatly appreciated!

I did forget to mention that Rob got his foot in the door at a very well-known Fortune 1000 company as a temp and he actually loves it! I'm so proud of him and I know that this is only the beginning for him! Keep your fingers crossed that they hire him on soon! And just so no one is worried about me not having a job at the moment, I am job hunting! I was bored after two days of not having one, so I'm definitely looking and hoping to get a new one ASAP! I do have to say that's know I've made mistakes in my career, but at the same time I don't regret any of them because I've learned from them and wouldn't be in the mindset that I'm in now. And this new mindset is going to be an awesome asset for any employer that's lucky enough to hire me. :-)

I am thinking about either changing the type of blog this is or creating a new one...I have some ideas bouncing around in my head and I don't want to just write about my journey to getting fit. I want to do one that's based on my daily life and everything that is going on...I know I've had a few posts that have already been doing that, but I guessing want to make it more "official." Let me know what y'all think about that!

A couple more short, quick things...one, since I have been slacking at the gym and I do have some extra time right now, I plan on walking my dogs around the subdivision more and hopefully taking them to a nearby park I recently discover! Second, I've officially started taking my concentration courses that are required to receive my degree. My concentration is in Human Resources and I have to take 3 extra classes...so right now I'm taking two classes atoned and omg...definitely need to practice time management to do this lol. I think I've covered everything that has happened, or at least close to everything. And I will definitely update y'all more...and if I do make a new blog I'll let y'all know the new link! :-)