I don’t know if it was food poisoning or a 24 hour bug, but after completing my Level 3 shred on Day 23, I went downhill quickly.  Decided to give myself a break and take it easy for the rest of the day.  I took a hot tea tree oil and epsom salt bath, then headed to bed to sleep it off.  Felt so much better by Friday afternoon!  Ended up skipping the Day 24 shred entirely though.  Didn’t want to chance it.

Glad I waited, because I was able to make up for it on Day 25 – I did Level 3 twice!  My poor legs and shoulders were not happy with me.  Kept it to a single shred today on Day 26.  Also remembered to switch starting legs on the plank so I wouldn’t hold on the same size two days in a row.   Wonder if that was an editing error on the DVD…or maybe Jillian just wanted to keep us on our toes.   I still want to do Levels 1-3 on the final day of the challenge.  1 hour of working out like a fitness machine!  Gulp.

Final week starts tomorrow…wheeeeeee!

Thought that laying this rock solid foundation meant I was completely ready for Level 3 on Day 22.  Was completely wrong!  Jillian says it at the beginning of the workout.  Ali also reminded me (oh yes, thankful I wore the industrial strength sports bra).   Level 3 really is harder than the previous levels.   And I started with the 3 lbs but SURPRISE!  You don’t even pick up the hand weights until the second circuit.  Jillian turns the knife with a smile from the very first pushup move.  I was all Anita, all the time except for the forearm to full pushups, mountain climbers and jack-knife jumps.

I’ll need my sleep tonight to be ready for Day 23!  Carry on, Team Shred.

I hauled out the 8 lbs weights for Day 19.  In theory, smashing!  In practice, silly!  My arms were sore for the entire day.   I had to switch down to the 5 lbs for the second set of each strength exercise.

Kept the insanity going on Day 20 by using the 8 lbs again!  Still couldn’t do more than the first set with them, but oh well.  Maybe I can pop out a few 8 lbs reps on the second strength exercises tomorrow.  Next short-term goal:  Level 3 by Day 22, plus cardio on the back end of each workout.

FYI – Jillian’s working on her latest DVDs – kettlebells and yoga shred – and she tweeted that even she’s having trouble keeping up with her own workout during the taping.   Will it make me swear at her less next year when I’m doing these workouts?  Probably not.  But I will laugh a little, knowing it’s just as hard for her as it is for me!

Whenever I have to ice an injury, I remember sitting in the trainer’s office before high school track practice each day.  I had my own stash of frozen Dixie cups in his freezer and every day, I’d ice my shins before heading out to run.  Didn’t care about the pain, I just wanted to be flying down that last 100 yard stretch.

These days, I still love the exercise euphoria, but I’ve traded in the Dixie cups for a Little Miss Sunshine gel ice pack.  And unlike my track days, if I feel pain, I do something light or skip my workout.  I heal quicker that way and can get right back into the routine.  So even after icing with Little Miss Sunshine on Thursday night, I knew I might have to do another modified shred on Day 17.   Not the end of the world.

As luck would have it, the lump went down considerably and I was able to do the full Level 2 on both Day 17 and Day 18.    The knee still looks ridiculous, but it’s pain-free.  I actually felt really good today.   Even considering day a few more days of Level 2, with a bump up to 8 lbs on the first strength set in each circuit.  Then I can start Level 3 next week with 3 lbs and it’ll seem much easier.  HA!  I know what’s coming, thanks to the “Ultimate Shredder.”  Weighted jumping jacks and weighted butt kickers.  JOY!

All Biggest Loser related kidding aside, I’m definitely noticing new definition in my body.  My legs are definitely tighter and my abs are firming up too.  However, I’m feeling the biggest change in my arms.  All those shoulder, biceps, pushups and plank moves have been worth it!   And we’re only halfway!  Can’t wait to see more changes by Day 30.

Slow start to Day 14, because I definitely didn’t eat enough for breakfast.  I knew it the minute I started the first cardio circuit and felt a bit more winded than yesterday.   Need a post-it reminder stuck to my glasses, so it’s the first thing I see in the morning.  Held the same ratio of Natalie to Anita moves as yesterday.  Goal is all Natalie moves, all the time for Day 15.  Need to get in that groove or else I won’t feel confident moving on to Level 3.

Excited to see a kick-butt Last Chance Workout on the National Mall tonight during The Biggest Loser!   And speaking of…just pre-ordered thisand thisfrom Amazon.  Very excited!

Much better shred results on Day 13. By the end of Workout 2, I sounded like a seal making loud honking wheezy noises.  But I felt like I had just done boot camp – in a good way.   Today I began to do more of the Natalie moves and less of the modified Anita versions.    The cardio segment in the third circuit is my biggest challenge, so I hope to conquer those moves Natalie-style before I contemplate moving on to Workout 3.  Perhaps by the end of the week?  We’ll see.

Big day tomorrow!  Day 14, plus a new episode of The Biggest Loser!  Here’s Jillian Michaels as she’s about to start a workout in front of the Washington monument.

I hopped on the bike for 15 minutes post-workout and did the hill interval program.  A little more than I tacked on yesterday, but since I’m treating myself to a few bite-size pieces of candy tonight, I wanted a little extra caloric “insurance.”  Now the biggest decision of the day.  Milky Way and Snickers?  Twix and 3 Musketeers?  M&Ms and Reese’s Pieces?   Who knows – I’ll surprise myself.

Day 12 on Sunday!  Most of us will get to sleep in another hour tomorrow with the Daylight Saving Time change.  Enjoy that extra 60 minutes of zzzzzzz!

P.S. Best costume of the day right here.

That said (one of my favorite Jillian phrases), 1/3 down on the 30 Day Shred Challenge!  Tripped over a stray dumbbell early in the workout and thought that was going to be it for Day 10.   But I salvaged my dignity, picked myself up off the floor and made it through!

Form was much better today and no 5 second dropouts (or dropdowns, since they’re usually during the plank twists and squat thrusts).  I added a 15 minute stationary bike ride at the end to boost the cardio.  Not sure how much of a benefit it actually was though, since I was going pretty slowly.   Energy perked right up again after my post-workout snack of a few Kashi crackers and Smuckers All Natural Peanut Butter.   Excited to try it again tomorrow, hoping for limited breaks in the cardio section.

Day 11, baby.  DAY 11!!!

Spent a lot more time on form today.   I hereby swear that when I switch up to Workout 3 – eventually – I will start with the 3 lbs to make sure that I’m doing the strength moves properly for maximum effect.   I don’t think I was maintaining the contraction on my biceps yesterday in my rush to keep up.   Energy was up today, so I tacked on a few minutes of cardio post-workout.  Silly Lori.   It just about wiped me out!  Ready for Day 10.

Alison is asking an interesting question about muscle rest and repair on her blog.  Maybe regular sleep is enough since we’re using light weights?  Maybe rest days are only essential with heavier weights and more sets?   I’ve noticed that I’m sleeping a lot better since Day 1.  Also sleeping an extra 45 minutes.