The best thing I've done for ME

It's been a few days since I've posted to my personal blog and want to catch you up on what's been happening here at "Chez Sandy":

• Fern (trainer) and I have upped my sessions to 3 times a week rather than twice. I just came from him and he absolutely TORTURED me today -- more on that later.
• DH (darling hubby) and I are getting ready for a week's vacation in New Hampshire (nothing better for hiking and gorgeous fall foliage!) -- we leave on Friday.
• While I haven't dropped much in actual pounds, my body is shifting -- I've lost 2.5% body fat and am able to wear a pair of jeans I last wore while working for Corporate in 2003 (WHOO HOO!).
• My 90 Day Intensive program is going great! The $500 savings bonus is good through September 22nd and I'm getting fabulous feedback!

I woke up this morning not really wanting to work out (despite the great results above), went to cancel only to find that I had no phone or internet service (cable was down) and took that as a sign that I had better get my butt there.

And now for the workout...

300 bosu ball jumps
10 minutes on stair stepper
1 mile on treadmill (at incline)
30 minutes on arc trainer
and 150 squats into 8lb medicine ball thruster

and we've determined that I'm not eating enough. I apparently need SIX meals a day and not the 2-3 I've been enjoying...oh...and, I need to be getting about 3 times the protein I'm getting.

I love having someone who can look at what I'm doing, what's working and not, and tweak it for me so I get optimal results. Hiring a trainer was the best thing I've done for my health AND my business.

If you're looking for a a mentor for your business, you may want to check out my Online Business Mentoring Program which starts soon (and early bird savings end even sooner)!

Kicking it up a notch

LOL...I feel like an "Emeril Live" commercial with his "kick it up a notch", but that's exactly what happened in my session with my trainer today.

He inspired me to go further, faster than I've ever gone before (oh no, now I sound like the Six Million Dollar Man preview -- yep, showing my age here!).

We called it a day after 20 minutes on the arc trainer, 275 situps on the little half-ball thingie (it's a technical term) and 75 barbell squats -- all done in 43 minutes. I was cruisin...

It was "easy" in the sense that Fern asked me about my business -- he's always amazed by what I do -- and I just chatted and chatted and didn't even realize I was working out. In fact, I did an extra 25 situps because I just kept chatting.

It's so great to do what you love!

Productivity Achieved: Back in the saddle again!

WHOO HOO! Fern (see post below this one for picture of my trainer)

Kudos to ME for having the "best workout ever" according to my trainer Fern (that's a picture of him) this morning! :-)

You see, he told me we were doing the Arc Trainer for 1/4 mile followed by 30 stepups on a half-ball which wobbles (while holding weights) followed by 30 medicine-ball-toss-into-wall and catch while squatting torture thingies. Sip of water and then do it again...5 sets.

This was preceded by 1/2 mile on Arc Trainer and followed up by a mile on treadmill at a steep incline.

It was the *best* workout because I went through it all fast and didn't complain once -- the lack of complaining was because Fern asked me to talk about my latest program (http://www.90DayIntensive.com). Now THAT I can do...so while dripping and deep breathing, I explained all about the program and the results my clients get as a result.

In no time, I was DONE!

By focusing on the outcome -- more energy for me and my clients, increased productivity, etc., I barely realized what I was doing and just kept getting sets done. In fact, I was on my way to set 6 when Fern had to stop me. . .

What outcomes could you achieve in your business with the right support and mentoring help?

Back at the gym...

Now that the doctor's cleared me to start exercising again, I gave Fern a call (that's a picture of him by the way -- taken 2 months ago when he came in 4th place in a body building competition) and said "let's get back to it!"

Everyone's been telling me to "take it easy", "rest some more", blah, blah, blah. While I can't say that I TRULY miss working out, I do miss swimming and, quite honestly, I'm afraid that if I stay out of the routine for too long, I'll never get back into it.

So I went ahead and paid for 12 sessions of training in advance (it's harder to be lazy when you've spent the money and I'm a firm believer that we can do more, faster with a good coach and mentor) and started back at the gym this morning.

It was tough. REALLY tough. Tougher than I remember.

But I'm not giving up -- I know why I want to succeed and that thought alone is enough to pull me forward (with the help of Fern's kick-in-the-butt, believe-in-me style).

What do you want to succeed at and do you have someone who believes you and can mentor you through it all?

I WON, I WON!

It's true! Jerry, my mother Lynda and I went to the local 4-H Fair this weekend (they have an auction which I just love to go to each year).

This was big for few reasons...

1. It's the first time I've been really out since surgery and

2. I actually bid AND won something (hee hee)

My great find? A new nightstand for Jerry for the whopping total of $11 -- it's true, I got into a bidding war and WON!

I don't often bid as I love just watching -- last year, a baby grand piano in mint condition went for $80 and every year we have "crazy man" (as the children have named him).

He always bids on a couch so he can sit someplace other than the benches (and pays around $200 -- he outbids HIMSELF) or gets into a bidding war over ice skates with a little girl, pays around $50 for them and then gives them to her.

While I don't know his name, I know he's a great supporter of our local 4-H as all the funds raised at the auction go to the children and as many people come to see him as they do the rest of the fair.

You should have seen two older ladies go to absolute war over landscape puzzles. :-)

Aside from the auction, I always get to see friends I haven't seen since the last auction.

Above is a photo I took of the auction. . .it's a little dark, but it was 10pm. :-)

RV Shopping and a PERFECT Day

Many thanks to everyone who's sent me cards! I'm recovering nicely from my unexpected surgery and am thrilled to say that most people don't even know I had it (unless they read my blog).

Now THAT is the perfect definition of what makes a business "automatic"!

I apologize for being away from the blog for a bit...my personal training has been stopped until my doctor clears me (hopefully tomorrow) and I've been spending a lot of time working on the info page for my new 90 Day Intensive program (http://www.90dayintensive.info/).

Have you ever had one of those absolutely, picture perfect days?

Jerry (my hubby) and I did yesterday. We got up early, went to breakfast at a local family-owned restaurant called Binky's which has been open since the '50s and the owner's daughter went to school with Jerry.

We followed that up with a nice long "country drive" (where you drive aimlessly about on back roads) in my 13-year-old Monte Carlo SS (I LOVE this car and she still drives like a dream) and then ended up going RV Shopping at Marty's RV in Berkeley (you can see yet more pictures of our top choices below).

The dilemma...do we get a "Get Up and Go" (my name for one you can drive -- a smaller one though as I have to be able to drive it without crashing!) or a "Stop and Drop" (my name for a camper that would go on the back of Jerry's truck???

And after that I was a bit tired and spent the afternoon alternating between reading and sleeping in our oversized hammock under a perfectly blue sky with my Llasa Apso "Buddy" curled up sharing my pillow and listening to Jerry practice his bass guitar while sitting under the trees.

This was a perfect Norman Rockwell day! And for dinner? Take-out from Lorenzo's, another small family-owned local restaurant from the 1950s where the food is homemade daily and absolutely heavenly!

Throw in an evening visit from one of our friends and you have a perfect day!