SHRED

So today was my fourth day of Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred.

I could barely walk for the last few days. Today was the easiest since we began and I wasn't as sore, but man  is my body shocked. I've had some crazy hard workouts before, but this one is so killer.

David is doing it with me and I hope we both stick to it. I know I'm in for the long term, but I can see that I-want-to-give-up-and-die look in his eyes and I worry.

Last night we went to dinner at Sue, my mentor/director of The Hiding Place/former professor's, house and David didn't have time to SHRED (from now on I shall place "shred" in caps and italics because it is that hardcore) before we left, so today was his hardest day.

There is just something about the third day that makes it the worst. Yesterday I wanted to collapse and die, but today I was right there, in it, keeping up and I'm actually looking forward to more. I hope that's what it's like for Dave tomorrow (his birthday!), if he decides to keep SHREDDING.

(see how affective the caps and italics are?)

Speaking of Dave's birthday, it's tomorrow. He's going to be 25. From now until January I'll only be two years older than him instead of three (yes!). Today I made Pâte Brisée, a fancy French term for pie dough, so that I could make David's favorite dessert, apple pie, from scratch. I also prepped the custard for homemade vanilla bean ice cream (his favorite flavor) and will be making that tomorrow as well. 

He's stoked.

We'll be going to Famous Dave's for dinner. He loves BBQ so that's where he wanted to go. I have no idea what I'm going to get, but that doesn't matter, it's his day and he can have whatever he wants.

So back to Jillian and how she's out for blood, particularly mine and Dave's. 

We decided to start this thing because I mention to Dave how I've seen a lot of before and after photos of people floating around who have done it and he decided he wanted to try it so I jumped all over that. 

The thing about this workout that's so effective is that, although it's only 20 minutes (the longest 20 minutes of your life), it combines strength, cardio and abs. There's a warm up, then 3 circuits of 3 minutes strength training, 2 minutes cardio, and 1 minute abs, then a cool down/stretch.

Example:

Circuit One, Strength: two different strength building exercises alternating for 3 mintues

Circuit One, Cardio: 30 seconds jumping jacks, 30 seconds jump rope, alternate for 2 minutes

Circuit One, Abs: 30 seconds crunches, 30 seconds reverse crunches

Circuit Two and Three are pretty much the same with different strength building exercises, different cardio and different abs. Oh, and did I mention there are absolutely no breaks? You jump right into the next move over and over again. I have almost zero seconds to sip water during the workout or wipe the pools of sweat from my eyes.

But when it's done I feel like a champion... well, maybe not, but someone on her way to becoming a champ running up steps in her sweats.

{Have you done the 30 Day Shred? If so, I'd love to hear all about your experience!}

So today I looked up motivational quotes and photos on Pinterest and this is what I found:

this is the move in circuit 3 that kills me. KILLS me!

I am rapidly falling head over heels for the woman.