01 | November | 2012 | nutcaseinpoint

Hey, I’m back. I told you I would be, so it shouldn’t be such a huge surprise.

1. So these:

Holy hell are they sweet or what. They’re so sweet, I gotta say it again: holy hell. But if you’d like the recipe, you can find it here.

2. Apple Leather

Here’s what I did: 6 apples peeled and halved. Put into boiling water for a few minutes to get them nice and tender. Drain and throw them in the blender with just under 1/4 c water and cinnamon to taste. Then spread out on a cookie pan lined with saran wrap (sprayed with cooking oil helps). Then put oven on the lowest setting (mine was 170 degrees) and let it sit in the oven overnight (8-10 hours. Check it now and then to make sure it doesn’t crisp up, you want it to be a bit pliable).

There ya go!

3. I went to Lululemon (because Tyler TOLD me to) and I got 2 precious gems to add to my collection. This is totally going to help me with that issue I mentioned yesterday.

It’s the Virtue Energy Pant in dense purple and the Run: Swiftly Tech long sleeve

4. Then I got carried away and found an amazeballs steal on some more winter clothes. I got two pairs of cords and 2 sweaters and they were each $20! Not bad, Jen. Not bad.

5. Yesterday’s workout.

It was somewhat adjusted because I only had one girl attend the class, but here’s the gist: (some of the moves were taken from Best Body Bootcamp. Green= strength; Blue= cardio)

5 minute warmup

Elevated push press (using the step) 1 min each side
Up/down plank- 1 min

Run laps around the studio for 3 minutes
15 seconds jacks/15 seconds mountain climbers x3

Lunge stance with row- 1 min/Opposite leg forward lunge stance with reverse fly- 1 min
Tricep dips- 30 seconds at the 4-count and 30 seconds at single count
Repeat lunge moves and tricep dips

Run laps opposite directions for 3 minutes
1 min torso twist hops

1 minute wall sit with bicep curls
1 minute weighted laying hip abduction/1 minute weighted hip adduction
1 minute wall sit with overhead press

30 seconds jump rope/30 seconds quick feet x3

15 squats with front raise
15 chest flys
30 second decline plank
15 single leg tricep kickback Left/15 right
10 plank with single arm row Right/10 left
8 surrender squat right/8 left

BURPEES

we did 5 burpess with a 15 second rest 10x through

ABS

Crunch progressions: 10 reg crunches, 10 with legs at tabletop position, 10 with legs straight in the air, 10 with scissor legs left, 10 scissor legs right, 10 tabletop, 10 regular

Tell me something random. How about: what’s the last thing you bought online? Where’s the last place you went out to eat? Favorite TV show this fall? Favorite cold-weather meal to make?

Yesterday, I bundled up and took Layla for a walk.

I haven’t taken her for about a week because it’s just been too crappy out. It was still pretty bad yesterday- even the pup was slipping on the ice- but she needed to stretch her legs…

and roll.

Beware this post is heavy on the dog pictures.

I was kind of having a down-in-the-dumps day. The weather was yuck, I didn’t feel like doing school work, I ate too much candy, AND I was stressed about gym stuff (more in a sec). I told Tyler, and this was his response:

Yup. He basically TOLD me to go buy Lulu! I originally planned to swing by the mall after teaching my class, but I was sweaty and it was cold, so I am going as soon as I finish this post! :):):):):)

Ok, so the gym thing.

UGH.

Le sigh.

So, if you’re new to this here blog, lemme give you a quickie recap.

I taught 4 classes/week at the Boston YMCAs when I was living in Boston (Core, Muscle, Cardio Ball)
I was certified to teach Cardio Kix/Cutz from Corpbasics
First Aid/CPR certified
ACSM cPT (certified personal trainer)

When I got to Calgary, I found that I could not get a paying job until I had my PR card. (Which is still not going to be until May/June/July 2013). Also, the positions at the Calgary YMCA’s are unpaid. So, the fitness director who I befriended allowed me to teach outdoor bootcamps downtown throughout the summer. She just recently gave me my regular indoor circuit class on Wednesdays, and the personal training department ‘hired’ me to teach a registered TRX class.

I had also been on the list for certification courses that were the equivalent to my American certs. Unfortunately, the courses have been barely offered, so I have been able to complete only ONE CERT since living here (I still need a Fundamentals certification to teach group fitness, and I need to CHALLENGE the cPT exam which is so stupid because I have my cert through the ACSM which is a program that the YMCAs here REFERENCE. doh)

WELL.

My fitness director friend accepted a job elsewhere, so I no longer have a buddy working at the Y. AND she informed me that since my certs are still not up to date, I have to have a moderator present at each of my classes.

Basically, a babysitter.

It’s liability issues.

And don’t even get me started on the music that we can/cannot use in classes.

I basically got fed up. Not only was I now leaving my house 90 minutes prior to class time so that I could drive the 4 miles downtown and park 1 mile away from the gym (for free parking) then trek ELEVEN FLIGHTS of outdoor stairs to get there, but I couldn’t get the certifications in a timely manner due to THEIR scheduling, and I have to have a babysitter? AND not get paid? No. Not good.

So, unfortunately, I had to go to the director yesterday and tell her that I could no longer teach classes.

Do you have any idea how hard that is? It was my 2 hours a week of being able to be around other people and teach them what I love. And get in a great workout.

But I don’t want to be on thin ice with liability issues until they can offer me the proper certifications. Then, as soon as I get my PR card, I am going to a private gym for a full-time PAID position.

It didn’t help that I was having approx. ONE PERSON attend my Wednesday classes each week,