Rosco the Wookie, Episode 2

I love my puppy! Jay knows how much I love the noises Rosco makes and got this video for me as a lil Christmas present. I love you boys!

Loving my life,

Kristy Kreme

Back in Action for 2012

After being sick for longer than I wanted to be, I decided Monday that enough was enough and kicked off my 2012 resolutions. I figure that if the Mayans are right, I'm going out with a bang... and a 6-pack!

Monday, with reduced lung-capacity and a sore throat, I started it off with an intense 30-min. Jillian Michaels Ab DVD. Somehow, she threw in a ton of planks and some sneaky inner-thigh work, making it hard to walk come Tuesday morning. Silly me, I figured a run for Tuesday's workout would be the perfect way to counteract the thigh soreness.... not exactly the case.

Wednesday morning, my abs hurt, inner thighs refused to cooperate after sitting for more than 30 minutes, and now my glutes and hams burned too. Sure, walking around the office was a challenge, but the worst was showing up at my Vertical Fitness class Wednesday night and having my instructor tell us that we were kicking off the lesson with pole sits (think of crossing your legs as hard as you can, trying to hold your body weight in one position). It was agony!

The rest of the class was fine, but the soreness followed me into Thursday. To keep my body guessing and the variety going, I chose Yoga for the daily workout, and it was just what I needed. By the end of hte night, I was back to normal and ready for the next rounds of daily workouts.

Friday was another round of Jillian Michaels, and today I did the video again, followed by some Vertical strength and skill training. Awesome way to start the day!!! Followed up with a perfectly ripe red grapefruit (no sugar needed) and my favorite coffee, and I was ready to take on the day.

So far, the daily workouts are going well. I've only had to fight minimal resistance within myself, but know the end product will be well worth it. I figure I only have to make it to February and by then it will be a habit, not just trying something new. Couple more weeks and I'll add in the bike, but right now I'm trying to feed my often neglected muscles and allow the overworked ones to recover.

Hopefully everyone else out there trying to make their life better in 2012 will enjoy it as much as I am :o) I told myself once in 2006 that it was up to me to make my life into the life I dream of... I did exactly that, going from an anti-social, pack-a-day smoker, online video gamer to an healthy adult athlete, good job, great friends, and awesome passion for cycling, writing, and enjoying life. So why not keep improving it year after year?

Cheers to making 2012 my b1tc#!

Kristy Kreme

2012 has a Sick sense of humor....

Ringing in the New Year was great, but it wasn't long before it decided to tell me who was boss. Mid-day Monday it started to settle in... post-nasal drip, the cold/hot temp juggling, and that suspicious feeling that something wasn't right. As the night rolled in, the mercury rose and my temps climbed to a healthy 103 by midnight.

I quarantined myself to the couch so not to get my hubby ill, and called in sick the next morning. Rosco stayed home with me and kept my freezing cold body warm as I covered my 102 degree head with chilled rags, trying to bring down the fever. The body aches were just the icing on the cake spending two days on the couch, falling in and out of sleep, getting up only for more ginger ale and bathroom breaks, and trying to eat even a bowl of soup.

Lucky for me, Nurse Rosco P. Caretaker was a super trooper! He slept all day with me, never tried to steal my cold wash rags, sat politely as I tried to eat soup, and sat protectively by the bathroom door every time I tried to shower off this wicked flu.

Rosco keeping the fever in check

By Thursday, I forced myself to step outside for fresh air, and bring my germy quilt to the laundrymat. It was exhausting at first, but I started to feel a bit better. My fever finally subsided, but my throat, lungs, and ears haven't taken the hint to cut the crap and kick the bugs out!

It kinda bums me out, since I actually made a New Years resolution this year, which I HATE to make! The mission was to work out for 30 or more minutes every day for the entire month of January to help ward off the winter blues and kick off the disciplined mind-set for getting into training this year. I made it two days before the fever kicked in and took away my home-gym membership... boo! But, the lack of appetite has balanced out the activity levels and I've avoided any weight gain.

I am excited, though, to get back on the program once this all passes. I've decided to mix up the work-outs to help recuperate after a long bike season and maximize strength and flexibility in areas that often go without love during the racing season. Yoga, core & uppper body strength, flexibility and balance, group fitness 'gymnastics' type classes, and of course some much needed time on the newly altered Franken-bike... 1/2 mtn bike, 1/2 fat bike....

But, then again, it's not just waiting on me to get better... we could probably use some SNOW or ICE first, eh?

Either way, once I'm better, it's ON! I'm just not patient enough to be sick and I'm ready to be done with it all.

On the mend,

Kristy Kreme

Rockin' in the New Year

Jay and I decided to show 2011 the door in proper form by rockin' out three days straight! Oh, and did I mention we were on the List for all of them? Life is Good!

We kicked it off with a killer show at the Spring Street Tavern in Nordeast on Thursday - 4130, Detroit Roll, The Jones Dickens, and none other than my favorite... DNF!!! Jay and the boys were 3rd of 4 on the bill and didn't hesitate to rock the crowd's asses right out of their chairs. The group moshed and sang along with fists in the air, and beer spilling on to the floor. It was their best show yet, and hopefully just a prelude of what's to come.

Friday night made way for an intimate, at-capacity show at the Cause in Uptown for our favorite lady of rock, Ashley, and her hubby, Ed, rocking out in BNLX! Jay got some sweet shots and the rock was awesome as always.

For our final goodbye to 2011, we headed out to the Myth, through huge snowflakes and sketchy travel conditions to watch Freaky's debut with HAIRBALL!! The smell of sulfur filled the air as the fire works ignited and the crowd's excitement charged the air. Freaky was on fire, sporting some hot leather pants and a KISS t-shirt, trying hard not to blow his load before the show was over.

Freaky, thanks for yet another great New Year's bash! It's hard to believe, but this was the first time Jay and I have ever celebrated New Year's in MN together, but it was fun like all the rest. We broke our routine, but sometimes you have to do that to step into something great. 2012, you better live up to our expectations... I'm looking for greatness this year, and I'll accept nothing less.

Ready to start anew,

Kristy Kreme