<p>Bromfield, I was walking through the airport schlepping my stuffed 27" rollerbag and realizing that I used to haul the equivalent of two of those on my person. Hard to imagine now!</p>
<p>Here’s another variation on the venerable plank that I played with tonight. Do a forearm plank with your arms on an exercise ball. Then roll the ball slowly fore and aft with your arms for 10 reps. Roll the ball slowly side to side for 10 reps. All while maintaining good plank form. Do 10 sets. Then curl up on the floor as your transverse and rectus abdominus spasm. :)</p>
<p>Back guru Stuart McGill calls that one “stirring the pot”. It’s amazing how little tiny motions fire the abs. iPod nazi had me doing stability ball plank in week 2 when I was at about 247 pounds, encouraging me in the headphones to roll the ball forward and back “for an extra challenge”. I was literally dripping sweat trying to do his core exercises. Four years later, I can actually do it. This really is a long-term journey to develop the core.</p>
<p><a href=“Magazine: Core Values | The New York Times - YouTube”>Magazine: Core Values | The New York Times - YouTube;
<p>If you don’t have a stability ball, these ValSlide body saws inflict similar pain:</p>
<p><a href=“Valslide Body Saw - YouTube”>Valslide Body Saw - YouTube;
<p>This one is the one that I’m most proud of. It’s been a long haul to actually get stable on this one (it takes a lot of hip stability to keep from flopping around). It sets the abs on fire. I think it’s because you have to squeeze your arms inwards to stay on the ball.</p>
<p><a href=“Stability Ball Mountain Climber - Reveal Your Abs For Good - Women's Health - YouTube”>Stability Ball Mountain Climber - Reveal Your Abs For Good - Women's Health - YouTube;
<p>Speaking of core. Doing KB swings with the 50 lb KB the other day, I actually felt the swings in my abs. Made my day as Dan John describes the KB swing as a dynamic plank. Or, maybe it was just something I ate… :)</p>
<p>mkat: I took the class at a regular health club where I’m a member. This is a facility that has swim, tennis, fitness, and cycling classes. Here’s the club info on the indoor cycling class.
<a href=“http://www.thoreau.com/adults/groupclasses/cycletools”>http://www.thoreau.com/adults/groupclasses/cycletools</a>
Worked out with my trainer today followed by 2 miles on the tread mill.</p>
<p>My Mio came today! Can’t wait to use it Sunday.</p>
<p>At least two hours of scraping up leaves, sand and guck from around the drains on both sides of my street.
It wasn’t raining when I started, but I sure was soaked by the time I finished.
I also started using a rake, but I had to switch to a square point shovel.
But we wouldn’t want any trick or treaters to get swallowed up in the puddles!</p>
<p>Bromfield, that looks like a great facility. I was struck by the opportunities for wattage based training in the cycling classes with the tools provided to calculate FTP and training intervals. Have you tried using wattage yet? How do you like the a Keiser M3 bikes?</p>
<p>We are expecting either rain or snow tomorrow, if you can believe it, so I decided to run this morning. A little over 8 in the bank. I’ll do core exercises tomorrow. If it rains on race day, I know I can run in it but I see no reason to run in the rain now and get sick. </p>
<p>Trick or treat candy purchased, just have to hope we get some children! iDad, hope you’ve been resisting temptation! </p>
<p>About to brave the weather and get a short run in. It’s snowing! Cripes!</p>
<p>Idad, you reminded me that I need to start using my stability ball again.</p>
<p>NOOOOOOOOOOOO To SNOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!</p>
<p>Anyone been “watching” Simon Wheatcroft’s run from Boston to NYC??? He’s about to land in Central Park - the end! And then he will be running the NYC Marathon Sunday. </p>
<p>Don’t know why I get so obsessed with watching little icons on a screen of someone else running a race!!! </p>
<p>Well, well- someone turned off the sun! After gorgeous Indian Summer weather, fall hit with a vengeance today. We got out of work early (and I had to be there at 7am today), so I ran at 3pm. It was blowing light rain from the north and generally miserable. I almost bailed to the treadmill, but I only wanted to do 2 miles, so I tried to enjoy the fresh air. It is going down to freezing tonight. </p>
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</p>
<p>That would be a negative! :(</p>
<p>That’s okay, me either. Nothing like an Almond Joy…or two…or okay, three if we’re being honest! </p>
<p>Just keep the bag of Hershey’s Miniatures out of sight! </p>
<p>I almost made it through Halloween with no candy but mch both knows me and doesn’t care if I’m tubby 
so when I was whining that I wanted chocolate (safely, I thought, as there was none in the house) he started leaving a little trail of mini Reese’s PB cup-lettes around the house. The bugger had stopped and bought the smallest bag he could find earlier in the day. He may be a saboteur, but he’s a cute saboteur who knows me cold.</p>
<p>I managed to control myself though, which is pretty much a Halloween first I was grateful that he hadn’t bought a big bag and controlled the source :)</p>
<p>We did not have many trick or treaters, which is pretty much the norm for our street. Not many people even bother, which may be why not many children come. Several recognized Sabadog and Sabapup from our walks which was exciting for everyone concerned! There is a subsidized housing development not too far away and the vast majority of the children came from there; they were very excited to get a big handful of candy that was the reward for the trek up the drive. As a result, I have very little left and none of it is anything I like so the danger is past! </p>
<p>Busy day ahead with errands and the like so best get at it. Will fit some exercise in there somewhere! </p>
<p>Husband just took the remaining Halloween candy and dumped it in the garbage.</p>
<p>I don’t know what my husband was thinking! We DO get a lot of trick or treaters, and cold, ugly weather did trim it down somewhat last night, but he bought enough candy for 3 years! I wasn’t all that tempted, really. I had a couple of minis, but all in all, I did OK.</p>
<p>Planned to run 8 miles this morning, but could hear the howling wind (20mph or more) from my bed and it was 36 degrees. I decided to take advantage of my dreadmill and the TV that H finally got mounted, and headed downstairs. 4 1/2 miles done (I am really slow on my treadmill) and maybe tomorrow morning will be better for the 8.</p>