In case you haven't heard, we are moving to Tallahassee, Florida. We took a break from prepping our house to sell and I had Aria sitting in my lap. She was being very "talkative," so I decided to have some fun with her. This is what we got...
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Group Power Personal Launch
A couple of months ago, I was asked by the Group Fitness Coordinator at Bob's Gym if I was interested in taking a weekend long training for Group Power. Like Group Kick (which I trained for back in January), it is offered by Body Training Systems. Whereas Group Kick is more cardio focused, Group Power concentrates on strength through muscle endurance.
I had taken the class numerous time and found it easy to pick up, but instructing it is always a different beast. Additionally, I was a little hesitant not knowing what my job situation would be in the next month or so. If I move to an area that doesn't offer Group Power, I would be screwed.
In the end, I was glad I took the class. I was able to clean some bad technique, as well learned how far I could push myself with weights on the bar.
After the training finished, I had three months to teach a class (with at least 5 people in the room) and record myself. I challenged myself to get in done in three weeks.
Instead of scheduling my own class during an open space of time at the gym, one of the current instructors let me utilize her class. In addition to the regulars who attend that particular class, I was able to bring some friends and had close to 20 people. There is something about having a packed room, as opposed to the required minimum.
I tried something different and pre-set the room in "theater style" with the benches circling the center area, instead of people putting their benches in rows. With the amount of equipment and space we had available, we fit the room nicely.
Below are the ten tracks divided up into five videos. The routines are far from perfect. In fact I have one track where I put on too much weight and completely fell apart (see Track Eight: Shoulders). Here are the videos....enjoy!
Tracks 1/2: Warm-Up and Legs
Tracks 3/4: Chest and Back & Legs
Tracks 5/6: Tricpes and Biceps
Tracks 7/8: "More Legs" and Shoulders
Tracks 9/10: Core and Cool Down
I had taken the class numerous time and found it easy to pick up, but instructing it is always a different beast. Additionally, I was a little hesitant not knowing what my job situation would be in the next month or so. If I move to an area that doesn't offer Group Power, I would be screwed.
In the end, I was glad I took the class. I was able to clean some bad technique, as well learned how far I could push myself with weights on the bar.
After the training finished, I had three months to teach a class (with at least 5 people in the room) and record myself. I challenged myself to get in done in three weeks.
Instead of scheduling my own class during an open space of time at the gym, one of the current instructors let me utilize her class. In addition to the regulars who attend that particular class, I was able to bring some friends and had close to 20 people. There is something about having a packed room, as opposed to the required minimum.
I tried something different and pre-set the room in "theater style" with the benches circling the center area, instead of people putting their benches in rows. With the amount of equipment and space we had available, we fit the room nicely.
Below are the ten tracks divided up into five videos. The routines are far from perfect. In fact I have one track where I put on too much weight and completely fell apart (see Track Eight: Shoulders). Here are the videos....enjoy!
Tracks 1/2: Warm-Up and Legs
Tracks 3/4: Chest and Back & Legs
Tracks 5/6: Tricpes and Biceps
Tracks 7/8: "More Legs" and Shoulders
Tracks 9/10: Core and Cool Down
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Group Power: What Did You Do This Weekend?
Starting on Friday, I took on the challenge of a weekend long training seminar for Group Power. Like Group Kick (which I took in February), this is an hour-long program through Body Training Systems that focuses on strength. It is a low weight, high repetition workout that focuses on every major muscle group in the body and works it hard.
We had a class of eight participants. Five were from Bob's Gym, two came from a gym in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and one person drove in from Cincinnati. We had the same trainer who handled my Group Kick training and it was nice to share some stories of my class experience with that program.
to get an idea of what I am getting myself into, here is a trailer of the July 2011 Group Power release:
Over the course of the weekend, I was responsible for learning two tracks. The first track focused on legs (squats) and the second on chest (flys and push-ups). The instructor recorded our routine to do a group assessment of correct technique and some stuff that looked simply painful. It was good to see those things are correct them as we worked over the weekend.
Probably the hardest session occurred on Sunday. It was a "team training" session that challenged us with a high weight/high rep workout. We started with a 12-minute cardio workout (run, cycling, etc.). We were paired up and did the following exercises:
Round One
25 Chest Presses
7 Deadrow (3 sets)
Round Two
15 Clean and Presses
10 Lunges (each leg)
Round Three
15 Bicep Curls
15 Tricep Extensions
Each round was 12 minutes long with you and your partner rotating as lifter or spotter during each round. You just kept rotating until the time ended. My partner and I got in about four full rotations in each of the 12-minute rounds.
My legs and shoulders are pretty burned out right now and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I have the gusto to pull of my Kick class tomorrow morning. Despite how I feel, it was all worth it. I'll keep you posted on my progress to getting certified.
We had a class of eight participants. Five were from Bob's Gym, two came from a gym in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and one person drove in from Cincinnati. We had the same trainer who handled my Group Kick training and it was nice to share some stories of my class experience with that program.
to get an idea of what I am getting myself into, here is a trailer of the July 2011 Group Power release:
Over the course of the weekend, I was responsible for learning two tracks. The first track focused on legs (squats) and the second on chest (flys and push-ups). The instructor recorded our routine to do a group assessment of correct technique and some stuff that looked simply painful. It was good to see those things are correct them as we worked over the weekend.
Probably the hardest session occurred on Sunday. It was a "team training" session that challenged us with a high weight/high rep workout. We started with a 12-minute cardio workout (run, cycling, etc.). We were paired up and did the following exercises:
Round One
25 Chest Presses
7 Deadrow (3 sets)
Round Two
15 Clean and Presses
10 Lunges (each leg)
Round Three
15 Bicep Curls
15 Tricep Extensions
Each round was 12 minutes long with you and your partner rotating as lifter or spotter during each round. You just kept rotating until the time ended. My partner and I got in about four full rotations in each of the 12-minute rounds.
My legs and shoulders are pretty burned out right now and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I have the gusto to pull of my Kick class tomorrow morning. Despite how I feel, it was all worth it. I'll keep you posted on my progress to getting certified.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Aria Rolls Over
Leandra was up early with Aria on Sunday morning. After feeding her, Aria was put on a blanket in the living room and Leandra started recording a little video on her iPhone to say "Hi" to the family. Luckily, she caught something pretty cool...
At 8 weeks, I don't expect her to be rolling over on a regular basis. As a matter of fact, she hasn't really found it enjoyable to laying down for prolonged periods of time (on her stomach or her back).
We'll just enjoy it the moment.
At 8 weeks, I don't expect her to be rolling over on a regular basis. As a matter of fact, she hasn't really found it enjoyable to laying down for prolonged periods of time (on her stomach or her back).
We'll just enjoy it the moment.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
My Idea for MLB Realignment
This posting has nothing to do with my current residence in Evansville, but this is a topic that I have always found interesting: MLB realignment. I have always been a fan of having two 15-team divisions.
A few years ago, I created what I thought would be the best divisional line-up. I don't recall what I said back then, so i decided to give it a fresh take. My only rule was to ensure that each teams had their "natural rivals" and, in some cases, some teams moved divisions...and even leagues.
Here it goes:
American League/National League
EAST DIVISION
NY Yankees / NY Mets
Tampa / Florida
Baltimore / Washington
Pittsburgh / Philadelphia &&&
Boston / Atlanta ***
CENTRAL DIVISION
Chi. White Sox / Chi Cubs
Minnesota / Milwaukee
Kansas City / St. Louis
Cleveland / Cincinnati
Toronto / Detroit @@@
WEST DIVISION
LA Angels / LA Dodgers
Arizona / San Diego ^^^
Seattle / Colorado
Oakland / San Francisco
Texas / Houston ###
The most important thing I had to do was move one team from the National League to American League. I did that by moving Pittsburgh to the AL East from the NL Central (&&&). Why Pittsburgh? I think the same state rivialry with Philadelphia (ie: St. Louis/Kansas City, Florida/Tampa, etc.) is more intriguing.
Of course this put one too many teams in the AL East. In a bit of a controversial move, I decided that Toronto should move to the AL Central and Detroit should move to the NL Central (@@@). I felt that movign them and putting them in alternate league would make them natural rivals. Toronto has been screwed since Montreal left town and Detroit is the next logical choice to me. Of course, these two teams are interchangeable so either of them could move to the NL with the other staying the AL.
We still have six teams in the NL Central, so we are moving Houston to the NL West (###), maintaining the natural rivalry with the Texas Rangers, but keeping balance within the divisions. The final piece of the puzzle is moving one team from the NL West to AL West. The team is Arizona (^^^). They are the newest team in MLB and sets up the rivalry with San Diego.
The only major problem is this realignment moves the Philadelphia/Boston rivalry ***. The only two teams that no longer have teams close to them are Boston and Atlanta. By pairing them as rivals, MLB can play up the fact that the Atlanta Braves originally started as the Boston Braves. I know its a stretch, but its the only thing I couls make work.
So what do you think?
A few years ago, I created what I thought would be the best divisional line-up. I don't recall what I said back then, so i decided to give it a fresh take. My only rule was to ensure that each teams had their "natural rivals" and, in some cases, some teams moved divisions...and even leagues.
Here it goes:
American League/National League
EAST DIVISION
NY Yankees / NY Mets
Tampa / Florida
Baltimore / Washington
Pittsburgh / Philadelphia &&&
Boston / Atlanta ***
CENTRAL DIVISION
Chi. White Sox / Chi Cubs
Minnesota / Milwaukee
Kansas City / St. Louis
Cleveland / Cincinnati
Toronto / Detroit @@@
WEST DIVISION
LA Angels / LA Dodgers
Arizona / San Diego ^^^
Seattle / Colorado
Oakland / San Francisco
Texas / Houston ###
The most important thing I had to do was move one team from the National League to American League. I did that by moving Pittsburgh to the AL East from the NL Central (&&&). Why Pittsburgh? I think the same state rivialry with Philadelphia (ie: St. Louis/Kansas City, Florida/Tampa, etc.) is more intriguing.
Of course this put one too many teams in the AL East. In a bit of a controversial move, I decided that Toronto should move to the AL Central and Detroit should move to the NL Central (@@@). I felt that movign them and putting them in alternate league would make them natural rivals. Toronto has been screwed since Montreal left town and Detroit is the next logical choice to me. Of course, these two teams are interchangeable so either of them could move to the NL with the other staying the AL.
We still have six teams in the NL Central, so we are moving Houston to the NL West (###), maintaining the natural rivalry with the Texas Rangers, but keeping balance within the divisions. The final piece of the puzzle is moving one team from the NL West to AL West. The team is Arizona (^^^). They are the newest team in MLB and sets up the rivalry with San Diego.
The only major problem is this realignment moves the Philadelphia/Boston rivalry ***. The only two teams that no longer have teams close to them are Boston and Atlanta. By pairing them as rivals, MLB can play up the fact that the Atlanta Braves originally started as the Boston Braves. I know its a stretch, but its the only thing I couls make work.
So what do you think?
Monday, July 4, 2011
Morning of Smiles
I was brought out of sleep this morning when I heard Aria moving around in bed. She wasn't crying so I was hoping she would fall back asleep. A few minutes went by and I then I heard a little "diaper pop." It was then that I found that Leandra was awake because she said that it didn't sound too bad and that we could get take care of her diaper in a little bit (in other words, we were really tired).
After I heard two more "pops," I decided that I needed to take care of the diaper and I'm glad I did. The diaper was on the verge of what I refer to as a "global crisis," so getting that off of her likely saved us a headache for later on. More importantly, it got me this video clip of a very happy baby on the changing table:
(If you click on the picture, you can will go to the YouTube page for a bigger screen size.)
This is the first time I have been able to get video of her smiling and even giving a very brief giggle. Every other time I have tried to record her smiling, I never have my camera or iPhone close by and by the time I get it, she is no longer in the mood.
The other amazing thing about the timing is the fact that she is generally calm. Usually she wakes up and is crying because she's hungry. We think she's been through a growth spurt right now because she is constantly wanting to eat and has been attached at the "hip" to her mother (you know what I mean...ahem, ahem). Getting her in a brief period of time where she was content and smiling was well worth the 6:00 am wake-up call.
After I heard two more "pops," I decided that I needed to take care of the diaper and I'm glad I did. The diaper was on the verge of what I refer to as a "global crisis," so getting that off of her likely saved us a headache for later on. More importantly, it got me this video clip of a very happy baby on the changing table:
(If you click on the picture, you can will go to the YouTube page for a bigger screen size.)
This is the first time I have been able to get video of her smiling and even giving a very brief giggle. Every other time I have tried to record her smiling, I never have my camera or iPhone close by and by the time I get it, she is no longer in the mood.
The other amazing thing about the timing is the fact that she is generally calm. Usually she wakes up and is crying because she's hungry. We think she's been through a growth spurt right now because she is constantly wanting to eat and has been attached at the "hip" to her mother (you know what I mean...ahem, ahem). Getting her in a brief period of time where she was content and smiling was well worth the 6:00 am wake-up call.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Visit by the Plutas
We had a very productive weekend which was mostly accomplished through a visit by the Plutas, a family friend from Wisconsin. Matt, Barb and their son Adam came drove down Thursday and stayed through Sunday.
I threw out the idea to them about coming down for a visit...and since Matt likes stuff to do, I put together a list of projects where I needed an extra hand or needed his expertise and equipment.
Since Leandra had to work on Friday and Saturday, Barb and Adam played a big hand in keeping an eye on Aria while Matt and I were taking care of projects. Here is what we finished (for the most part):
- Picked up and installed a new dishwasher. Delivered the old dishwasher to a salvage yard. (The old dishwasher needed $200 in repairs and we opted to spend the extra money for a new one. At least we would have a new appliance in the house if we moved.)
- Addressed a leak in the roof. We had a downpour the day after we patched it up so I'm hoping that everything is fixed.
- Fixed the recoil on a chainsaw (three times!) and cut down part of a birch tree in my front yard that was dead, as well as cut and move the logs and branches.
- Cut and installed trim in the upstairs bathroom and downstairs living room. (We ran out of trim so I am going to have to finish up a small bit later on.
- Did some yardwork, mostly weeding my garden and putting some mulch down where it was getting low.
This may not seem like a lot, but these were pretty time consuming projects. Along with some general errands that needed to be run, our time was maximized for most of the weekend.
I can't say how much I appreciate their help. By myself, I would have been gettign things done through the process of trial and error...with an emphasis on "ERROR." Throwing my daughter into the mix would have had me wokring to get these done in small bits. With Barb and Adam watching over Aria, Matt and I were able to plow through each of these tasks.
We did make sure to have some fun over the weekend. On Saturday night, we drove out to Bosse Field out to watch an Evansville Otters baseball game. While Leandra and I have been to a couple of games over the years, it was the first for the Plutas...and Aria. Luckily for us, they won.
I threw out the idea to them about coming down for a visit...and since Matt likes stuff to do, I put together a list of projects where I needed an extra hand or needed his expertise and equipment.
Since Leandra had to work on Friday and Saturday, Barb and Adam played a big hand in keeping an eye on Aria while Matt and I were taking care of projects. Here is what we finished (for the most part):
- Picked up and installed a new dishwasher. Delivered the old dishwasher to a salvage yard. (The old dishwasher needed $200 in repairs and we opted to spend the extra money for a new one. At least we would have a new appliance in the house if we moved.)
- Addressed a leak in the roof. We had a downpour the day after we patched it up so I'm hoping that everything is fixed.
- Fixed the recoil on a chainsaw (three times!) and cut down part of a birch tree in my front yard that was dead, as well as cut and move the logs and branches.
- Cut and installed trim in the upstairs bathroom and downstairs living room. (We ran out of trim so I am going to have to finish up a small bit later on.
- Did some yardwork, mostly weeding my garden and putting some mulch down where it was getting low.
This may not seem like a lot, but these were pretty time consuming projects. Along with some general errands that needed to be run, our time was maximized for most of the weekend.
I can't say how much I appreciate their help. By myself, I would have been gettign things done through the process of trial and error...with an emphasis on "ERROR." Throwing my daughter into the mix would have had me wokring to get these done in small bits. With Barb and Adam watching over Aria, Matt and I were able to plow through each of these tasks.
We did make sure to have some fun over the weekend. On Saturday night, we drove out to Bosse Field out to watch an Evansville Otters baseball game. While Leandra and I have been to a couple of games over the years, it was the first for the Plutas...and Aria. Luckily for us, they won.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Juggling with a Baby
It's been awhile since I last posted. With a baby taking up the majority of our time, and a job search that has been less than fruitful (so far), I haven't made posting a priority. I thought I would use a couple of free minutes to share a story from this last Monday.
Before Aria was born, I had jumped on the opportunity to take on a second Group Kick class on Monday mornings in Newburgh. The class already was in place, but the current instructor was looking to drop it. Since I had the time and need the money, I jumped on it. Because of scheduling, the first class I would teach would be Monday, June 6.
Around the same time, Leandra called the Toyota dealership to get our Yaris cleaned (as part of an added package when we purchased the car). The soonest they could get our car in was the morning of Monday, June 6.
After Aria was born, we called her pediatrician to schedule her two-week check-up. As it turns out, it was scheduled for the morning on Monday, June 6.
So we have a problem:
Car cleaning: 9:00 am
Kick class: 9:00 am
Doctor appointment: 9:40 am (on the other side of town)
Being a one car family, here is how it worked out:
6:30 am: Wake-up and eat breakfast.
6:45 am: Clean out the car and take out baby seat carrier
7:10 am: Drove to Toyota to drop off the car and pick up the loaner. Leandra started to wake-up to start feeding Aria.
7:45 am: Arrive home. Install seat carrier. Mount bike rack and bike. Grab helmet, gloves, water bottles and air pump and throw int he car.
8:05 am: Leandra takes a quick shower. I change Aria's diaper.
8:20 am: Load Aria into the baby seat and put her in the car. Leandra looks for a form for the doctor that I had already grabbed and put in the car.
8:25 am: Leave for Newburgh
8:45 am: Arrive at Bob's Gym Newburgh. Unload bike and related gear.
8:50 am: Leandra takes off for doctor's appointment.
9:00 am: My class begins. No one tells me how the sound system works (every gym has a different system) and the first three tracks are muffled and "staticy." After 15 minutes, I finally get someone in the fix the issue.
9:25 am: Leandra arrives at the doctor's office.
9:40 am: Doctor's appointment
10:10 am: Class is done and I am changing into bike gear. I get a phone call from Toyota saying that our car is done. I text Leandra seeing if she wants to meet me there (it's a quicker commute for me). She agrees.
10:40 am: i arrive at Toyota. Leandra is not there and she should have beat me there easily. I call her and find out that she mis-read my message and thought i was coming home. Leandra cuts Aria's feedig short and drives down.
11:00 am: Leandra arrives at the dealership. She swaps the keys while swaps the bike rack and baby seat into our car.Leandra brought some shopping bags and we contemplated making a quick run to do some needed grocery shopping until...
11:10 am: Aria is still hungry and has a complete meltdown. I drive as fast as I legally can to get home.
11:25 am: I pull in the driveway. Leandra grabs the keys, runs inside and preps herself on the recliner in the baby's room. I grab the baby seat, bring Aria inside, take her out of the seat and deliver her to Leandra's lap. CRISIS AVERTED!
Long morning. I'm sure there are more to come.
Before Aria was born, I had jumped on the opportunity to take on a second Group Kick class on Monday mornings in Newburgh. The class already was in place, but the current instructor was looking to drop it. Since I had the time and need the money, I jumped on it. Because of scheduling, the first class I would teach would be Monday, June 6.
Around the same time, Leandra called the Toyota dealership to get our Yaris cleaned (as part of an added package when we purchased the car). The soonest they could get our car in was the morning of Monday, June 6.
After Aria was born, we called her pediatrician to schedule her two-week check-up. As it turns out, it was scheduled for the morning on Monday, June 6.
So we have a problem:
Car cleaning: 9:00 am
Kick class: 9:00 am
Doctor appointment: 9:40 am (on the other side of town)
Being a one car family, here is how it worked out:
6:30 am: Wake-up and eat breakfast.
6:45 am: Clean out the car and take out baby seat carrier
7:10 am: Drove to Toyota to drop off the car and pick up the loaner. Leandra started to wake-up to start feeding Aria.
7:45 am: Arrive home. Install seat carrier. Mount bike rack and bike. Grab helmet, gloves, water bottles and air pump and throw int he car.
8:05 am: Leandra takes a quick shower. I change Aria's diaper.
8:20 am: Load Aria into the baby seat and put her in the car. Leandra looks for a form for the doctor that I had already grabbed and put in the car.
8:25 am: Leave for Newburgh
8:45 am: Arrive at Bob's Gym Newburgh. Unload bike and related gear.
8:50 am: Leandra takes off for doctor's appointment.
9:00 am: My class begins. No one tells me how the sound system works (every gym has a different system) and the first three tracks are muffled and "staticy." After 15 minutes, I finally get someone in the fix the issue.
9:25 am: Leandra arrives at the doctor's office.
9:40 am: Doctor's appointment
10:10 am: Class is done and I am changing into bike gear. I get a phone call from Toyota saying that our car is done. I text Leandra seeing if she wants to meet me there (it's a quicker commute for me). She agrees.
10:40 am: i arrive at Toyota. Leandra is not there and she should have beat me there easily. I call her and find out that she mis-read my message and thought i was coming home. Leandra cuts Aria's feedig short and drives down.
11:00 am: Leandra arrives at the dealership. She swaps the keys while swaps the bike rack and baby seat into our car.Leandra brought some shopping bags and we contemplated making a quick run to do some needed grocery shopping until...
11:10 am: Aria is still hungry and has a complete meltdown. I drive as fast as I legally can to get home.
11:25 am: I pull in the driveway. Leandra grabs the keys, runs inside and preps herself on the recliner in the baby's room. I grab the baby seat, bring Aria inside, take her out of the seat and deliver her to Leandra's lap. CRISIS AVERTED!
Long morning. I'm sure there are more to come.
Friday, May 20, 2011
A Whirlwind of Days
It's been a pretty crazy week to say the least. It started with craft fair and ended with bring our newborn daughter home. So let's get a breakdown:
Saturday, May 14: Leandra had a craft fair in Jasper, Ind. She had to work so I got called into action. I've done it before so it wasn't a big deal, but this fair crosses into the Eastern time zone so I had to wake-up at 5:00 am to account for the time change.
Sunday, May 15: I woke up at a normal time, but I had to prepare for a 30-minute Group Kick demo at a health fair and then depart for a job interview in Ohio. A lot of running around followed by a seven hour drive. Again another time change to consider as I didn't get in until almost 10:00 pm that night.
Monday, May 16: I woke up at 6:00 am to prep for the interview. Not that big of a deal, except for the time change which, on my internal clock, had me waking at 5:00 am. The interview lasted most of the morning followed by seven hour drive back home.
Tuesday, May 17: I had to teach my Group Kick class at 9:00 am which shouldn't have been a big deal. For whatever reason, I wasn't able to finish the class. About halfway through, my body started feeling really heavy and I was experiencing some difficulties breathing. It's nothing I had ever dealt with before so I sake another instructor who happened to be at the gym. While I don't know for sure, I suspect that I had a combined sugar and caffeine crash from the sodas I had been downing over the last few days with the early morning and long days. (Prior to this, I had not had a soda for almost two weeks.) I rested up and was able to teach a class (as a sub) that evening.
Wednesday, May 18: I'm sure many of you know that a certain addition to the world started this day, but the series of events are not as well-known. I had dropped Leandra off at work so I could run some errands during the day. Leandra said she wasnt feeling too good, but she tends to be a trooper and just fights her way through. She compared her discomfort to menstrual cramps, which she thought was brought on from her final doctor appointment a few day earlier. We later found out that she was probably in early labor.
Fast forward to early evening. I had plans to do the Ride of Silence starting at 6:00. Upon arriving, I unloaded my bike and got set to meet the riding crew. Ten minutes before the take-off time, I got a call from Leandra asking me to pick her up at work. She was scheduled to work until 8:00, which would have given me plenty of time to get back and pick her up. Her boss decided it best that she go home early. So I packed up the bike, loaded the car and took off.
After I arrived at Opus 1, I met Leandra at the checkout desk. We walked back to her department to get her stuff. She told me she needed to make a quick trip to the restroom where she proceeded to throw up (one last time).
Before we left the store, I threw out the idea of going to the hospital. The store is much closer to the hospital than our home and I figured the worst they could say to us was that she wasn't ready. She was still uncertain so I told her to call her mom or sister who are both nurses (her sister had her second kid in January) to get a recommendation. They said to go...and we did.
Once we were checked in (around 7:30 pm), they hooked her up to the various monitors they use and told her that she was "going to have a baby today" (or at least within 24 hours). So the waiting game began as we waited for contractions to progress and the nurses to say that we were set to go.
Leandra decided that we were going to try and go completely natural. Taking any drugs was going to be a "game-time decision." Around 1:00 am, she was given the option of taking a painkiller which was supposed to take the edge off of the contractions. Shortly afterwards she decided to take them, but it was a pretty minor painkiller lasting only 30 minutes.
Around 1:30 am, we were told that the doctor could be called in to break her water. We finally made the clal at 2:00 and the doctor came in to break it at 2:30. As we were told, the contractions picked up in intensity and frequency and she went into hard labor (at least that's what i call it) 90 minutes later.
At 4:10 am, Aria ("Speedwagon") Marie Krueger was born...and sleeping will never be the same.
Saturday, May 14: Leandra had a craft fair in Jasper, Ind. She had to work so I got called into action. I've done it before so it wasn't a big deal, but this fair crosses into the Eastern time zone so I had to wake-up at 5:00 am to account for the time change.
Sunday, May 15: I woke up at a normal time, but I had to prepare for a 30-minute Group Kick demo at a health fair and then depart for a job interview in Ohio. A lot of running around followed by a seven hour drive. Again another time change to consider as I didn't get in until almost 10:00 pm that night.
Monday, May 16: I woke up at 6:00 am to prep for the interview. Not that big of a deal, except for the time change which, on my internal clock, had me waking at 5:00 am. The interview lasted most of the morning followed by seven hour drive back home.
Tuesday, May 17: I had to teach my Group Kick class at 9:00 am which shouldn't have been a big deal. For whatever reason, I wasn't able to finish the class. About halfway through, my body started feeling really heavy and I was experiencing some difficulties breathing. It's nothing I had ever dealt with before so I sake another instructor who happened to be at the gym. While I don't know for sure, I suspect that I had a combined sugar and caffeine crash from the sodas I had been downing over the last few days with the early morning and long days. (Prior to this, I had not had a soda for almost two weeks.) I rested up and was able to teach a class (as a sub) that evening.
Wednesday, May 18: I'm sure many of you know that a certain addition to the world started this day, but the series of events are not as well-known. I had dropped Leandra off at work so I could run some errands during the day. Leandra said she wasnt feeling too good, but she tends to be a trooper and just fights her way through. She compared her discomfort to menstrual cramps, which she thought was brought on from her final doctor appointment a few day earlier. We later found out that she was probably in early labor.
Fast forward to early evening. I had plans to do the Ride of Silence starting at 6:00. Upon arriving, I unloaded my bike and got set to meet the riding crew. Ten minutes before the take-off time, I got a call from Leandra asking me to pick her up at work. She was scheduled to work until 8:00, which would have given me plenty of time to get back and pick her up. Her boss decided it best that she go home early. So I packed up the bike, loaded the car and took off.
After I arrived at Opus 1, I met Leandra at the checkout desk. We walked back to her department to get her stuff. She told me she needed to make a quick trip to the restroom where she proceeded to throw up (one last time).
Before we left the store, I threw out the idea of going to the hospital. The store is much closer to the hospital than our home and I figured the worst they could say to us was that she wasn't ready. She was still uncertain so I told her to call her mom or sister who are both nurses (her sister had her second kid in January) to get a recommendation. They said to go...and we did.
Once we were checked in (around 7:30 pm), they hooked her up to the various monitors they use and told her that she was "going to have a baby today" (or at least within 24 hours). So the waiting game began as we waited for contractions to progress and the nurses to say that we were set to go.
Leandra decided that we were going to try and go completely natural. Taking any drugs was going to be a "game-time decision." Around 1:00 am, she was given the option of taking a painkiller which was supposed to take the edge off of the contractions. Shortly afterwards she decided to take them, but it was a pretty minor painkiller lasting only 30 minutes.
Around 1:30 am, we were told that the doctor could be called in to break her water. We finally made the clal at 2:00 and the doctor came in to break it at 2:30. As we were told, the contractions picked up in intensity and frequency and she went into hard labor (at least that's what i call it) 90 minutes later.
At 4:10 am, Aria ("Speedwagon") Marie Krueger was born...and sleeping will never be the same.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Belly Bump - Week 39 (Last Week)
I apologize for being a couple of days late with this week's picture. Between a job interview in Ohio and some conflicting scheduling, I wasn't able to snap a picture until this morning. As you can tell, Leandra is ready to get this baby out of her belly. This is the closest resemblance to a smile I could get out of her.
She had her last doctor's appointment on Monday and everything is progressing well. Outside of some "lady-part" stuff that I didn't really need to know about, nor will I share it here, I will say that she is about 2 cm dialated. Basically, the doctor said that she can go into labor anytime now, but our "scheduled" due date is Monday, May 23. Should she not go into labor by that time, she has decided to wait an extra day and be induced on Wednesday, May 25.
Going back to her overall well-being, she is toughing it out just as any other pregnant woman has (I'm assuming). She works on Thursday and Saturday and then she is done. Luckily, both shifts are short and her boss has sid that she can leave early, if needed. her parents should be down here by Friday which I will lift her spirits as well.
Five days to go...let the countdown begin...
She had her last doctor's appointment on Monday and everything is progressing well. Outside of some "lady-part" stuff that I didn't really need to know about, nor will I share it here, I will say that she is about 2 cm dialated. Basically, the doctor said that she can go into labor anytime now, but our "scheduled" due date is Monday, May 23. Should she not go into labor by that time, she has decided to wait an extra day and be induced on Wednesday, May 25.
Going back to her overall well-being, she is toughing it out just as any other pregnant woman has (I'm assuming). She works on Thursday and Saturday and then she is done. Luckily, both shifts are short and her boss has sid that she can leave early, if needed. her parents should be down here by Friday which I will lift her spirits as well.
Five days to go...let the countdown begin...
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Belly Bump - Week 38
Nothing new to report. While Leandra was getting checked over by the doctor, I was having a representative from our hospital look at our car seat to make sure it was installed properly. My attempt at installation was not correct, but I was close. Now I know.
With a job interview next week Monday and two Group Kick classes to teach next Tuesday (morning and evening), we are keeping our fingers crossed that the baby can hold out until next Wednesday to make any "considerations."
Here is this week's picture. Again, I'm trying to make things a little interesting so we are at Opus 1 Music to display some instruments and Leandra's walking "bass drum."
(I've noticed that Leandra tends to wear a black top whenever I decide when it is picture day. I'm sure it isn't done on purpose, but you just don't get the belly detail without some color.)
With a job interview next week Monday and two Group Kick classes to teach next Tuesday (morning and evening), we are keeping our fingers crossed that the baby can hold out until next Wednesday to make any "considerations."
Here is this week's picture. Again, I'm trying to make things a little interesting so we are at Opus 1 Music to display some instruments and Leandra's walking "bass drum."
(I've noticed that Leandra tends to wear a black top whenever I decide when it is picture day. I'm sure it isn't done on purpose, but you just don't get the belly detail without some color.)
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Group Kick "Disaster" Class
Before I get into the sequence of events, I just want to point out that the class wasn't really a "disaster." Perhaps "headache" would be a better word. Here's how it played out:
At about 5:06 pm, I got a phone call from another instructor asking if I would want to sub for the Wednesday night kick class. Its not her class, but she offered it to me because my Tuesday morning class was cancelled due to a school delay. I wasn't really aware of the time, and freaked out to see how much time I had to get the to gym...with no car.
I know that I could make it there in about 20 minutes on my bike, but I wasn't in my gear and I would have to pack clothes. I figured that I could make it so I ran around the house getting ready. Luckliy, I went to a class this morning and I never unpacked my bag. Yeah I know...a little gross, but it ended up saving me some time.
I was out the door at 5:10, hopped on the bike and sprinted as fast as I could to the gym.
I arrived right at 5:30 ran into the locker room to change and headed to the studio. At first, it looked like I was only going to have one participant, but two more arrived. All of them were new. Not that big of a deal, right? Let me continue...
Lexie, the instructor who called me, and I were working to get the sound system set-up, but found that someone messed with the cords so nothing was working. As a stall tactic, I went over the general basics with everyone while Lexie worked on figuring out the mess. She hit a road block so I looked at the rest of it and was able to figure it out. At this point...it was about 5:40 (ten minutes late at this point).
We got moving and everything was going fine. I wasn't able to spend too much time demonstrating some of the moves before each track since I had to make up time. Unfortunately, the participants had to figure everything out on the fly. They caught on, it just took a little time.
Because I use my iPhone as my iPod, I have to make sure to turn off phone calls (airplane mode) so the music doesn't get interrrupted. Normally, I do this...except today. In my haste to get rolling, I completely forgot. As luck would have it, my wife called right in the middle of track four. I didn't pick up, but I couldn't continue the track until she went to voice mail. That was a very awkward pause.
It was right about this time that I realized that I didn't have a water bottle. Actually, I had two bottles on my bike, but I never grabbed them when I got to the gym. I usually go through two bottles of water in this class and I had zero. There were two women who were in the lobby waiting for the next class (Boot Camp) to begin. I sort of know them, so I ducked my head out the door and asked if one of them could snag a water bottle out of the cooler and I grabbed the attention of a deskworker to ring me up. Not exactly my most graceful purchase, but I was desperate.
I got through the rest of the class without a problem. I felt a little bad that I came across as being disorganized with a group of new folks so I was overly apologetic. I just hope they come back.
On a side note, because we started late, I asked the Boot Camp instructor if it was alright that I run into his time to finish the class. He took his class outside to start while I was wrapping up and one of his people tripped on something and hurt himself pretty good. I could blame myself, but I'll pass it along to the idiot who screwed up the sound system.
At about 5:06 pm, I got a phone call from another instructor asking if I would want to sub for the Wednesday night kick class. Its not her class, but she offered it to me because my Tuesday morning class was cancelled due to a school delay. I wasn't really aware of the time, and freaked out to see how much time I had to get the to gym...with no car.
I know that I could make it there in about 20 minutes on my bike, but I wasn't in my gear and I would have to pack clothes. I figured that I could make it so I ran around the house getting ready. Luckliy, I went to a class this morning and I never unpacked my bag. Yeah I know...a little gross, but it ended up saving me some time.
I was out the door at 5:10, hopped on the bike and sprinted as fast as I could to the gym.
I arrived right at 5:30 ran into the locker room to change and headed to the studio. At first, it looked like I was only going to have one participant, but two more arrived. All of them were new. Not that big of a deal, right? Let me continue...
Lexie, the instructor who called me, and I were working to get the sound system set-up, but found that someone messed with the cords so nothing was working. As a stall tactic, I went over the general basics with everyone while Lexie worked on figuring out the mess. She hit a road block so I looked at the rest of it and was able to figure it out. At this point...it was about 5:40 (ten minutes late at this point).
We got moving and everything was going fine. I wasn't able to spend too much time demonstrating some of the moves before each track since I had to make up time. Unfortunately, the participants had to figure everything out on the fly. They caught on, it just took a little time.
Because I use my iPhone as my iPod, I have to make sure to turn off phone calls (airplane mode) so the music doesn't get interrrupted. Normally, I do this...except today. In my haste to get rolling, I completely forgot. As luck would have it, my wife called right in the middle of track four. I didn't pick up, but I couldn't continue the track until she went to voice mail. That was a very awkward pause.
It was right about this time that I realized that I didn't have a water bottle. Actually, I had two bottles on my bike, but I never grabbed them when I got to the gym. I usually go through two bottles of water in this class and I had zero. There were two women who were in the lobby waiting for the next class (Boot Camp) to begin. I sort of know them, so I ducked my head out the door and asked if one of them could snag a water bottle out of the cooler and I grabbed the attention of a deskworker to ring me up. Not exactly my most graceful purchase, but I was desperate.
I got through the rest of the class without a problem. I felt a little bad that I came across as being disorganized with a group of new folks so I was overly apologetic. I just hope they come back.
On a side note, because we started late, I asked the Boot Camp instructor if it was alright that I run into his time to finish the class. He took his class outside to start while I was wrapping up and one of his people tripped on something and hurt himself pretty good. I could blame myself, but I'll pass it along to the idiot who screwed up the sound system.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Belly Bump - Week 37
With all of the rain we have received over the last week, I thought I would take advantage of a dry spell to get this week's pregger pic of Leandra. This is one of the last batch of lilac bushes that have not lost their blooms yet so I had Leandra strike a pose.
When we moved down here, I decided to plant a row of lilac bushes in homage to one of the houses that I grew up in as a kid. The backyard had a number of huge lilac bushes that create a beautiful aroma in the spring. I had hoped to be here long enough for them to grow where I could take out the ugly fence back behind them, but it doesn't look like that will happen.
At our doctor's appointment yesterday, we were told that the baby is head down and we are about 1 centimeter dialated. Everything appears to be on schedule.
When we moved down here, I decided to plant a row of lilac bushes in homage to one of the houses that I grew up in as a kid. The backyard had a number of huge lilac bushes that create a beautiful aroma in the spring. I had hoped to be here long enough for them to grow where I could take out the ugly fence back behind them, but it doesn't look like that will happen.
At our doctor's appointment yesterday, we were told that the baby is head down and we are about 1 centimeter dialated. Everything appears to be on schedule.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Belly Bump - Week 36
We are within a month. Our doctor's appointment this week turned out good. We start with weekly visits now up until the delivery date.
Leandra went to my Group Kick class this morning and is still participating. She might not be jumping around as much, but she is still punching and kicking...kind of like the baby.
Here is the weekly pic:
Leandra went to my Group Kick class this morning and is still participating. She might not be jumping around as much, but she is still punching and kicking...kind of like the baby.
Here is the weekly pic:
Evansville Flooding Revisited
About 5 weeks ago, I posted about some flooding that Evansville was experiencing that affected the Greenway space. It's gotten worse.
Since last week Friday, it's rained everyday. If it counts, it rained while I was sleeping last night so I will count that as raining today. It has rained since providing a little relief, but it is not going to solve any of the major issues immediately.
Being right on the Ohio River and relatively close to the Mississippi River, major rainfall can wreak havoc in Evansville (as well as other areas in southwestern Indiana, southern Illinois and western Kentucky). Both rivers are considerably backed up right now so the water flowing through Evansville on Pigeon Creek has nowhere to go...except over the banks.
The problem is twofold. First the city has a very poor and outdated sewer system. As the city expanded, the sewers did not which pushes more run-off into the same space.
The biggest problem, in my opinion, is that the county does not have a sewer system. It relies on creeks and tributaries to move the water. They have not been dug out in any way withing he city or county to contain large amounts of water, like the Kinnickinnick River that runs through Milwaukee, Wis. (see picture).
Anyways, I rode around Evansville today to get some pictures of the flooding. Luckily, I didn't have to go anywhere because I would be severly limited with where I could go considering the amount of inaccessible roads. Click on any picture to see a larger version.
This is the intersection of Kenucky Ave and Christ Road. On my bike, this is the only road I can take to get to the west side of town. While I didn't go any further, I'm sure there are other sections of the road that are covered. There are some houses that likely have sandbags around them as I have seen water approaching them earlier in the year.
Little League baseball fields that have been engulfed by water from a smaller creek that funnels into Pigeon Creek.
This house is on the west side of Hwy 41. It is n the other side of the baseball fields on St. George Road.
You can see the bridge in the distance going over Pigeon Creek. The bridge has a metal deck and is not solid. Bike riders are supposed to walk over the bridge for safety.
Here are two houses with water approaching them. I took these to see the amount of sandbagging that has been put up.
Green River Road used to be impassable before they overhauled it. They raised it up and added some bridges. They are putting the last round of asphalt on which allowed me to get off my bike and snap this picture. Iif not for the recent work done, this road would be covered.
This is a picture of a field on the other side of the road.
This is Hirsch Road right off of Green River Road. It is a farm road that doesn't get a lot of attention, except that i use it to get to one of the EBC rides. This field is virtually connected to the field in the last picture.
Here is a close-up from the last picture showing a mailbox in the middle of the water.
This is a bridge on Morgan Ave, which is a major artery of town. The road was closed by the bridge because water was starting to creep over. This actually isn't bad right now I was able to ride through it. About four years ago, the bridge was completely covered. With rising water, I believe they are planning for the worst.
There have been a couple of trailer parks that have been evacuated. The downtown area is constructing temporary floodwalls along the Ohio River. While I didn't know any better when we moved down here, I'm glad we bought a house on a hill.
If you want to see some more pics, you can see what the Evansville Courier & Press provided on their site.
Since last week Friday, it's rained everyday. If it counts, it rained while I was sleeping last night so I will count that as raining today. It has rained since providing a little relief, but it is not going to solve any of the major issues immediately.
Being right on the Ohio River and relatively close to the Mississippi River, major rainfall can wreak havoc in Evansville (as well as other areas in southwestern Indiana, southern Illinois and western Kentucky). Both rivers are considerably backed up right now so the water flowing through Evansville on Pigeon Creek has nowhere to go...except over the banks.
The problem is twofold. First the city has a very poor and outdated sewer system. As the city expanded, the sewers did not which pushes more run-off into the same space.
The biggest problem, in my opinion, is that the county does not have a sewer system. It relies on creeks and tributaries to move the water. They have not been dug out in any way withing he city or county to contain large amounts of water, like the Kinnickinnick River that runs through Milwaukee, Wis. (see picture).Anyways, I rode around Evansville today to get some pictures of the flooding. Luckily, I didn't have to go anywhere because I would be severly limited with where I could go considering the amount of inaccessible roads. Click on any picture to see a larger version.
This is the intersection of Kenucky Ave and Christ Road. On my bike, this is the only road I can take to get to the west side of town. While I didn't go any further, I'm sure there are other sections of the road that are covered. There are some houses that likely have sandbags around them as I have seen water approaching them earlier in the year.
Little League baseball fields that have been engulfed by water from a smaller creek that funnels into Pigeon Creek.
This house is on the west side of Hwy 41. It is n the other side of the baseball fields on St. George Road.
You can see the bridge in the distance going over Pigeon Creek. The bridge has a metal deck and is not solid. Bike riders are supposed to walk over the bridge for safety.
Here are two houses with water approaching them. I took these to see the amount of sandbagging that has been put up.
Green River Road used to be impassable before they overhauled it. They raised it up and added some bridges. They are putting the last round of asphalt on which allowed me to get off my bike and snap this picture. Iif not for the recent work done, this road would be covered.
This is a picture of a field on the other side of the road.
This is Hirsch Road right off of Green River Road. It is a farm road that doesn't get a lot of attention, except that i use it to get to one of the EBC rides. This field is virtually connected to the field in the last picture.
Here is a close-up from the last picture showing a mailbox in the middle of the water.
This is a bridge on Morgan Ave, which is a major artery of town. The road was closed by the bridge because water was starting to creep over. This actually isn't bad right now I was able to ride through it. About four years ago, the bridge was completely covered. With rising water, I believe they are planning for the worst.
There have been a couple of trailer parks that have been evacuated. The downtown area is constructing temporary floodwalls along the Ohio River. While I didn't know any better when we moved down here, I'm glad we bought a house on a hill.
If you want to see some more pics, you can see what the Evansville Courier & Press provided on their site.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Belly Bump - Week 35
I wasn't too happy woith the picture, but I couldn't get the lighting right. Since I don't have Photoshop (or access to it at former place of employment), I was limited to how I could edit it. I only went to a B/W format so it wouldn't look as bad.
This is our rearranged bedroom to fit the baby bed in our room (in the background). Five weeks to go.
This is our rearranged bedroom to fit the baby bed in our room (in the background). Five weeks to go.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Belly Bump - Week 34
We recently noticed a little "growth spurt." Six weeks to go.
Yesterday's appointment with the doctor went well. Everything is right on track. On a side note, we've decided to call Leandra's belly button the baby's "peephole." Whenever we watch a scary movie, we make sure to cover it up to make sure the child won't get nightmares.
Yesterday's appointment with the doctor went well. Everything is right on track. On a side note, we've decided to call Leandra's belly button the baby's "peephole." Whenever we watch a scary movie, we make sure to cover it up to make sure the child won't get nightmares.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
SIC Half Marathon
I'm sitting at home right now walking around like an old man. My quads are on fire and do not want to move, but I was able to make my way over to the computer to post about my first half marathon. This was the last run as part of the Winter Meltdown Series that included the Hearts on Fire 5K in February and the Run of Luck 7K in March. Assuming I completed, this would be the longest run that I would ever completed. Well, actually, it would have been at about 7.6 miles, but I had no intention of stopping early. My basic goals were to finish the run and not walk at any point. I had a secondary goal of completing the run within 2 hours, 30 minutes. I wasn't sure what to expect since my training had taken a bit of a hit with stuff at the gym, weather and some other scheduling conflicts. I was more concerned with the beating my legs would take over how in shape I was.
Having never run this distance, I wanted to play it safe and make sure that I positioned myself to keep a comfortable pace. The last thing I wanted to do was to get caught up in a pack that was moving fast and end up burning myself out. I moved into the 12 minute/mile area figuring the pack would spread out enough by the time I might consider picking up the pace. The gun sounded at 7:15 am at the Vanderburgh County 4-H Grounds, after a traffic hold-up created a need for a brief delay. It took an extra minute for my part of the pack to pass the sensor, which was followed by a slow pace with everyone trying to find their space. Once we hit the open road, it was a little easier to maneuver. The route can be viewed here (check the blue line).
The first three miles had some rolling hills to contend with. I learned on my shorter runs earlier in the year not to hold back on any descents. I usually made up some ground whenever I was moving downhill and used that momentum as long as I could once the road flattened out. After the hills, the route flattened out considerably.
Heading north for a considerable stretch was nice with a nice tailwind. Between the wind and a nice shuffle of music that was playing on my phone, I was feeling pretty ambitious to pick up the pace. Of course, whenever you run a loop, the tailwind will become a headwind at some point.
After turning to the east, the wind crossed over the road and provided a nice relief to cool down a bit. I wasn't exactly moving along at the clip I was earlier, but it was worth it. Miles 8-9 was an "out and back" stretch that put the wind to my back on the way out, but right back in my face on the way in. Whatever speed I picked up headed north was lost once I hit the turnaround point.
With the vast majority of the run from this point heading south, this was the home stretch. Unfortunately, I started hitting my "wall" at Mile 10. I could feel my quads starting to tighten up and my calves hinting that they wanted to cramp. It was hard to not stop and stretch, but I knew that if I stopped moving, I would be in trouble. I needed to bite my lip, hope for the best and finish this out.
After a stretch heading east, we had one last stretch heading south. Leandra drove out there and took a couple of pictures as I was running by. I made sure to get really close to her (as you can tell from the picture on the right) and said, "I hurt." She said that I only had a mile to go and the 12 Mile marker was a few steps further down the road. It was a relief to know I was almost done. I just had to hope that my legs would hold out.
Turning back into the 4-H Grounds, the finish line was in sight. I had made up my mind that I needed to finish strong and once we hit the guard rails leading up to the finish line, I picked up my pace to sprint (or the closest to a sprint that my legs had at that point) to bring the run to end. As I slowed down, my left hamstring IMMEDIATELY cramped up and I needed to use the guard rails to help me walk...check that, limp...to meet my wife.I was able to walk the cramp off, but my legs were pretty much done at that point. I got them worked on by an on-site massage group, which provided some temporary relief, but it didn't really do much in the big picture. I grabbed some free food and drink and then headed home to languish in the "agony of da-feet" for the day.
I don't have much experience with these types of runs so I can't say if it was good or bad. The run goes through the northwestern section of the county, and stays outside the city limts. There are a lot of fields in that area. With nothing really growing at this point, it's not overly scenic. That said, I bike on many of these same roads and it was nice to have these roads closed to traffic during the run. As far as my goals:
1.) I finished the run.
2.) I ran the entire route.
3.) I completed it in 2 hours 18 minutes.
My knees aren't really sore as I thought they would have been. It's the quads and hip flexors that are sore right now. Let's just say that I'm not exactly leaping up the steps from the basement right now. I anticipate being laid up for at least two more days and already found a sub for my Kick class on Tuesday.
All in all, I'm pleased with the final results. Now that the half marathon is out of the way, bring on the baby!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Spring Surprise
I had a nice little surprise last week and I have more growing today. These should be ready to pick tomorrow.
(If you click on the picture, you can see a larger version to see what is growing.)
(If you click on the picture, you can see a larger version to see what is growing.)
Monday, April 4, 2011
Belly Bump - Week 33
I tried to be a little "artistic" this week, but the photo came out a little blurry. Oh well...I didn't get the iPhone for its high-quality photo taking ability. 
Leandra had her doctor appointment last week on Friday. Everything is looking fine. We have one more appointment, which have been every two weeks, before we start going for weekly check-ups.
Leandra had her doctor appointment last week on Friday. Everything is looking fine. We have one more appointment, which have been every two weeks, before we start going for weekly check-ups.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Belly Bump - Week 32
I'm a day late with our weekly pic. Whoops! Here it is: 
According to the "What to Expect When You Are Expecting" app that Leandra has on her iPhone, our baby weighs in at about 4.5 lbs and is the size of a honeydew melon. There is one ironic thing about the baby's weight. If you deduct the 4.5 lbs that the baby weighs, Leandra would actually weigh LESS than when we started the IVF process last August.
According to the "What to Expect When You Are Expecting" app that Leandra has on her iPhone, our baby weighs in at about 4.5 lbs and is the size of a honeydew melon. There is one ironic thing about the baby's weight. If you deduct the 4.5 lbs that the baby weighs, Leandra would actually weigh LESS than when we started the IVF process last August.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Belly Bump - Week 31
I guess we are officially in single digits in remaining weeks. Still two months to go, which I'm sure will cruise by. We got back from Wisconsin on Sunday and started going through everything from the baby shower to put it through the wash.
Before I get any further, thank you to everyone for your gifts. It means a lot. Special thanks to my mom and sister for putting this whole thing together. I wasn't there, but I heard that everyone had a great time.
Here is the most important part of today's posting...the picture. It doesn't have the same impact since most of our family saw us over the weekend, but it's a weekly tradition.
This picture was taken in the baby's room. It's coming along now.
Before I get any further, thank you to everyone for your gifts. It means a lot. Special thanks to my mom and sister for putting this whole thing together. I wasn't there, but I heard that everyone had a great time.
Here is the most important part of today's posting...the picture. It doesn't have the same impact since most of our family saw us over the weekend, but it's a weekly tradition.
This picture was taken in the baby's room. It's coming along now.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
SPiN Milwaukee
I'm not in Evansvillle for this story. This is one of those things that you would never see in Evansville...which is really too bad.
We arrived in Wisconsin on Friday afternoon for the baby shower that my mom and sister were hosting for Leandra. I had no intention of attending and made alternative plans to attend SPiN Milwaukee.
SPiN Milwaukee is a table tennis club/restaurant/sports bar. I found out about this venue after reading a story about it in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The main room hold 12 tables with an additional center table, complete with scoring table and bleachers, used for feature matches and tournaments. There is a dining area, a bar and flat screen TVs mounted throughout the space.
SPiN Milwaukee is located in the Third Ward Historical District just outside of the downtown area I came in with my niece's dad (while mom and niece were at a baby shower) and planned to meet two other people while we were there. We got there around 12:30 and ordered lunch before we reserved our table. With a burger, fries and a cold bottle of Sprecher Root Beer polished off, it was time to pick up some paddles and balls and get our table.
For non-club members, tables can be rented for $16/hour during the day. You are provided a bucket of balls that are constantly refilled by someone picking up all the stray balls on the floor. That's right...you don't need to pick up the balls that fly off your table. A guy walks around with a net who scoops the balls off the floor and refills the buckets. Pretty cool, although it took a couple of turns to remember that we didn't have to chase down every ball that went astray.
Our table was kind of unique. It had a "chalkboard" set-up with messages written on it. The net was kind of like a mini-chain link fence which made for some interesting play. All of the balls were orange with the SPiN Milwaukee logo on them.
I'm pretty sure we held our table for more than an hour, but no extra charges were tacked on. By the time we left, the place was hopping with most tables being used and two "studs" playing at the center table. There was a VIP room that was being used that day for a fundraiser tournament. Apparently, the evening was booked with nothing available to reserve until the next day.
The one other plus to the venue is that it is smoke-free. Of course, the entire state of Wisconsin is smoke free, but I would think that this place wouldn't want smoking because of the semi-athletic nature of the place.
This place was a lot of fun. While the weekends bring in more competitive players, there were many families at the tables playing casual games alongside those who were trying put as much spin and speed on the ball during each rally.
We spent about two and a half hours there between lunch and playing. We could have spent much more if I didn't have other places to be. I did get a nice t-shirt for my wife that says "Balls Are My Business." (Yeah, I couldn't resist...heh, heh!) I can't wait to get back to Milwaukee. This is on my "must-go list."
We arrived in Wisconsin on Friday afternoon for the baby shower that my mom and sister were hosting for Leandra. I had no intention of attending and made alternative plans to attend SPiN Milwaukee.
SPiN Milwaukee is a table tennis club/restaurant/sports bar. I found out about this venue after reading a story about it in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The main room hold 12 tables with an additional center table, complete with scoring table and bleachers, used for feature matches and tournaments. There is a dining area, a bar and flat screen TVs mounted throughout the space.
SPiN Milwaukee is located in the Third Ward Historical District just outside of the downtown area I came in with my niece's dad (while mom and niece were at a baby shower) and planned to meet two other people while we were there. We got there around 12:30 and ordered lunch before we reserved our table. With a burger, fries and a cold bottle of Sprecher Root Beer polished off, it was time to pick up some paddles and balls and get our table.For non-club members, tables can be rented for $16/hour during the day. You are provided a bucket of balls that are constantly refilled by someone picking up all the stray balls on the floor. That's right...you don't need to pick up the balls that fly off your table. A guy walks around with a net who scoops the balls off the floor and refills the buckets. Pretty cool, although it took a couple of turns to remember that we didn't have to chase down every ball that went astray.
Our table was kind of unique. It had a "chalkboard" set-up with messages written on it. The net was kind of like a mini-chain link fence which made for some interesting play. All of the balls were orange with the SPiN Milwaukee logo on them.
I'm pretty sure we held our table for more than an hour, but no extra charges were tacked on. By the time we left, the place was hopping with most tables being used and two "studs" playing at the center table. There was a VIP room that was being used that day for a fundraiser tournament. Apparently, the evening was booked with nothing available to reserve until the next day.
The one other plus to the venue is that it is smoke-free. Of course, the entire state of Wisconsin is smoke free, but I would think that this place wouldn't want smoking because of the semi-athletic nature of the place.This place was a lot of fun. While the weekends bring in more competitive players, there were many families at the tables playing casual games alongside those who were trying put as much spin and speed on the ball during each rally.
We spent about two and a half hours there between lunch and playing. We could have spent much more if I didn't have other places to be. I did get a nice t-shirt for my wife that says "Balls Are My Business." (Yeah, I couldn't resist...heh, heh!) I can't wait to get back to Milwaukee. This is on my "must-go list."
Monday, March 14, 2011
Belly Bump - Week 30
30 weeks down, 10 more to go. Leandra had her bi-weekly doctor's visit and everything is still going well. The heartbeat was at 138 beats/minute. The nice part of being unemployed is that I can go with my wife to these visits and not use any sick time.
Here is your weekly dose of Leandra's belly!
Here is your weekly dose of Leandra's belly!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
2011 Run of Luck
(UPDATED: 3/14/2011)
On Saturday, I took part in the second run of the "Winter Meltdown Series.". The Run of Luck is a 7K run -- about 4.3 miles -- which takes place in the downtown area of Evansville. I don't know exactly how many people ran, but I did hear there were 1,400 preregistered runners and that it was the largest attended run in its 11-year history.
The weather turned out to be perfect for the ride. It had been cold and/or rainy most of the week. The sun came out for the day and brought some warmth with it as we hit the mid 50s by the time we took off.
The starting point was different than last year with the festivities taking place in downtown headquarters of an area bank. The route was virtually the same except for some adjustments that were made for the new start/finish point. After weaving through some of the downtown streets, we turned onto Riverside Drive, which runs alongside the Ohio River. We ran on the street as we passed Casino Aztar and then moves onto the Greenway (bike/running path). We moved back onto the roads and ran through a few neighborhoods as we made our way back to downtown and the finish line.
My pace was pretty decent, but I seemed to have hit the same roadblocks from the year before. Shortly before the 3 mile mark, I hit a little bit of "a wall" as I felt some tightness in my shins and some minor fatigue started setting in. I slowed down my pace to get myself back in track. The strategy worked as I was comfortably able to pick up the pace for the last half mile. I wanted to finish strong and I was able get into a decent stride to finish out.
Now for the important stuff...here were my stats according to the sensor system that is used for the run:
On Saturday, I took part in the second run of the "Winter Meltdown Series.". The Run of Luck is a 7K run -- about 4.3 miles -- which takes place in the downtown area of Evansville. I don't know exactly how many people ran, but I did hear there were 1,400 preregistered runners and that it was the largest attended run in its 11-year history.The weather turned out to be perfect for the ride. It had been cold and/or rainy most of the week. The sun came out for the day and brought some warmth with it as we hit the mid 50s by the time we took off.
The starting point was different than last year with the festivities taking place in downtown headquarters of an area bank. The route was virtually the same except for some adjustments that were made for the new start/finish point. After weaving through some of the downtown streets, we turned onto Riverside Drive, which runs alongside the Ohio River. We ran on the street as we passed Casino Aztar and then moves onto the Greenway (bike/running path). We moved back onto the roads and ran through a few neighborhoods as we made our way back to downtown and the finish line.
My pace was pretty decent, but I seemed to have hit the same roadblocks from the year before. Shortly before the 3 mile mark, I hit a little bit of "a wall" as I felt some tightness in my shins and some minor fatigue started setting in. I slowed down my pace to get myself back in track. The strategy worked as I was comfortably able to pick up the pace for the last half mile. I wanted to finish strong and I was able get into a decent stride to finish out.Now for the important stuff...here were my stats according to the sensor system that is used for the run:
- In 2010, I completed the run in 43:20.6 with a 10:03 mile pace.
- In 2011, I completed the run in 41:15.8 with a 9:30 mile pace.
- Out of the 1,201 runners, I came in at 577 (just barely made the top half) and I was 42nd out of the 61 runners in my age group.
With a 5K and a 7K under my belt, I have one month to build up to my next run Southern Indiana Classic Half marathon (13.1 miles).
Friday, March 11, 2011
Evansville Flooding
I had to ride my bike out to Bob's Gym West to meet the HR guy and fill out my paperwork to start my Group Kick classroom instruction. With the weather being nice (low 50's), I figured it was a nice day to get some miles on the bike. I checked out the route -- I am not too familiar with the west side -- and decided to ride the new Greenway passage, which is on the way.
I never took into account the amount of rain that we have received here in the last couple of weeks. As far as elevation goes, Evansville is pretty low. It's pretty close to the height of the Ohio River. When we get significant rainfall or experience a wet part of the season, which can be a combination of what we get here and what occurs up river, it can wreak havoc in this area.
I live towards the top of the hill and pretty well inland so flooding has never been a direct issue for me, but it can be a nightmare to get around. The Ohio River is far from me, but Pigeon Creek, which cuts through town, is not. I've seen stretches of closed roads and bridges shut down because of high waters (due to poor foresight when constructing). Some of these roads have been addressed and raised, especially the main arteries that are dependent of moving traffic.
In many areas, a natural levee has been constructed between the river/creek and the city to avoid flooding in houses. (By the way, most houses don't have basements because of the flooding issue.) The portion of the greenway that I was going to take runs along Pigeon Creek. Sometimes it is on top of the levee, othertimes it runs on the alongside the river. Imagine my surprise, when I saw this...
Needless to say, I needed to take a detour. Thankfully, I had not gone too far out of my way.
I never took into account the amount of rain that we have received here in the last couple of weeks. As far as elevation goes, Evansville is pretty low. It's pretty close to the height of the Ohio River. When we get significant rainfall or experience a wet part of the season, which can be a combination of what we get here and what occurs up river, it can wreak havoc in this area.
I live towards the top of the hill and pretty well inland so flooding has never been a direct issue for me, but it can be a nightmare to get around. The Ohio River is far from me, but Pigeon Creek, which cuts through town, is not. I've seen stretches of closed roads and bridges shut down because of high waters (due to poor foresight when constructing). Some of these roads have been addressed and raised, especially the main arteries that are dependent of moving traffic.
In many areas, a natural levee has been constructed between the river/creek and the city to avoid flooding in houses. (By the way, most houses don't have basements because of the flooding issue.) The portion of the greenway that I was going to take runs along Pigeon Creek. Sometimes it is on top of the levee, othertimes it runs on the alongside the river. Imagine my surprise, when I saw this...
Needless to say, I needed to take a detour. Thankfully, I had not gone too far out of my way.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Moving On From the Fraternity
On March 4, 2011, I was laid off from my employment at Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. As a part of a restructuring of the national headquarters staff, the position of Director of Alumni Engagement was eliminated.
There have been a few individuals who have been in contact with me since that time over e-mail and Facebook either thanking me for my work or just trying to find out what has happened. While there are things I’m not going to talk about in regards to my employment, I thought I would say a few things.
There have been some people asking about my future employment. As it currently stands, I don’t have anything lined up. Coincidentally, I had recently sent out applications at two universities to test the waters. With a baby on the way, I felt it necessary to start looking for jobs with a benefit package that covers family members.
As far as my time spent working for the Fraternity, it has definitely been an memorable experience. I’ve been very fortunate to be a part of many great things during my 6.5 years on staff:
- The launch of the Life Loyal Sinfonian program which brought in almost 800 people since 2007
- The start of the Signature Sinfonian with 30 members inducted since 2006
- Growth of our alumni associations from 4 to 20 (currently at 17 with one petition pending)
- Involvement in two national convention (2006 and 2009)
- Travel to over 50 cities across the country to meet alumni, as well as attendance at four charterings/reactivations (at least), four province workshops and two chapter anniversary celebrations
- Writing and/or managing content for national publications, including The Sinfonian, Sinfonia Resonance and The Red and Black
- Development of The Lamplight, a guide of alumni opportunities; our graduating brother materials, which has reached out to more than 3,000 graduates; and expansion of our presence and state and national music conventions
- Oversight of the expansion of our Province Alumni Coordinators and training sessions held specifically for these volunteers
- Commitment to addressing the integrity of our membership database
- Meeting with prominent Sinfonians such as: Walt Parazaider, Lee Loughnane and Jimmy Pankow (the horn players of Chicago), Ruben Studdard, Vic Firth and Mike Cesario
- Interaction with thousands of Sinfonians
I’ve been very fortunate to work with a fantastic group of volunteers who have been committed to the success of the Fraternity. Although my departure on staff was a bit unexpected it was inevitable that I would have to leave for the best interests of my family.
I am truly appreciative of all the friends I have made and I hope that I have the ability to stay in touch with all of you. This brotherhood means a lot to me and I am glad to have shared it with you.
Sincerely,
Dan Krueger, Xi Pi (Wisconsin-Whitewater) '96
Monday, March 7, 2011
Belly Bump - 29 Weeks
No major additions this week to mention this week. We moved the picture from the dining room to the baby's room.
Leandra has gained a little "hard spot" that moves around which I assume is the head or butt of the baby. I like to play "Find the Hard Spot." It keeps me entertained.
Leandra has gained a little "hard spot" that moves around which I assume is the head or butt of the baby. I like to play "Find the Hard Spot." It keeps me entertained.
Monday, February 28, 2011
New Ultrasound and Baby Bump (Week 28) Pics
Leandra had a follow-up ultrasound today to check out some measurements and facial developments that we were unable to view the first time around. Everything looks really good. No cleft palate issues. Heart looks good. The heart beat was 140 beats/minute (see video below). The baby weighs 2 lbs. 9 oz. The due date provided by the computer is May 24, which is a day later than the original date, but I'm sure the baby will come out when it wants to.
Now for the cool stuff. Here's the hearbeat video (not Don Johnson):
Ultrasound pics (by the way...these are all high-res pictures. If you click on the picture to open the larger file, you should be able to print any of them):
PROFILE SHOT
LEG & FOOT
BABY KRUEGER FACE
BABY KRUEGER FACE + FOOT (flexible)
New baby bump pic:
...and if you made this far. Here is why I reference the "heartbeat video" by Don Johnson.
Now for the cool stuff. Here's the hearbeat video (not Don Johnson):
Ultrasound pics (by the way...these are all high-res pictures. If you click on the picture to open the larger file, you should be able to print any of them):
PROFILE SHOT
LEG & FOOT
BABY KRUEGER FACE
BABY KRUEGER FACE + FOOT (flexible)
New baby bump pic:
...and if you made this far. Here is why I reference the "heartbeat video" by Don Johnson.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Group Kick Aftermath
Last Sunday I completed my Group Kick assessment video. I was very fortunate to have more than 20 people come to Bob's Gym and spend time in the studio so I could tape myself teaching a class.
Group Kick takes boxing and mixed martial arts concepts and puts them into a one hour workout. There are ten tracks of music that are themed to a specific style. Some tracks target general moves and technique; some focus on cardio; others put it all together into a "fight."
Overall, the class went well. The goal is to complete the full 10-track program in 60 minutes. I did it in 62 minutes. I had a good crop of new people there so I spent a little extra time making sure everyone understood the strike moves...especially the kicks. Afterwards, everyone stuck around for some snacks and refreshments that Leandra and I provided.
While I am appreciative of everyone who came to the class, there are three people who need to get some special props. Mellissa Renfro, Lexie Jones and Brent Woodard are three of the instructors who have let me do some "student teaching" leading up to this point. If it wasn't for their encouragement and opportunity to work in front of their classes, I probably would not have gotten to this point so quickly.
For those of you who saw my posts about Group Kick, especially my family up in Wisconsin, but never really understood what I was talking about, I have downloaded a couple of videos onto YouTube. Out of the ten tracks, I have included tracks 1-3 & 5-8. I didn't include 4, 9 & 10 because they are not as intense as the ones I have included.
It will be a few weeks until I find out if my assessment is approved. In the meantime, you can see what I did. Enjoy!
Tracks 1 & 2: Warm-up and Box
Track 3: Muay Thai
Track 5 & 6: Fight #1 and Super Box
Track 7: Fight #2
Track 8: Muay Thai #2
Group Kick takes boxing and mixed martial arts concepts and puts them into a one hour workout. There are ten tracks of music that are themed to a specific style. Some tracks target general moves and technique; some focus on cardio; others put it all together into a "fight."
Overall, the class went well. The goal is to complete the full 10-track program in 60 minutes. I did it in 62 minutes. I had a good crop of new people there so I spent a little extra time making sure everyone understood the strike moves...especially the kicks. Afterwards, everyone stuck around for some snacks and refreshments that Leandra and I provided.
While I am appreciative of everyone who came to the class, there are three people who need to get some special props. Mellissa Renfro, Lexie Jones and Brent Woodard are three of the instructors who have let me do some "student teaching" leading up to this point. If it wasn't for their encouragement and opportunity to work in front of their classes, I probably would not have gotten to this point so quickly.
For those of you who saw my posts about Group Kick, especially my family up in Wisconsin, but never really understood what I was talking about, I have downloaded a couple of videos onto YouTube. Out of the ten tracks, I have included tracks 1-3 & 5-8. I didn't include 4, 9 & 10 because they are not as intense as the ones I have included.
It will be a few weeks until I find out if my assessment is approved. In the meantime, you can see what I did. Enjoy!
Tracks 1 & 2: Warm-up and Box
Track 3: Muay Thai
Track 5 & 6: Fight #1 and Super Box
Track 7: Fight #2
Track 8: Muay Thai #2
Monday, February 21, 2011
Future Furniture Addition + Baby Bump
In addition to the crib and dresser/hutch that we purchased two months ago (currently on layaway), we got a nice cushy rocking chair for the baby's room as well. We got it from Baumburger's, which is a pretty nice furniture store. The price was decent (some might think it was still a little high) as it was about 60% off the list price and it was the last one available. We have this on layaway as well for the next month or so.
Oh yeah...and here is Week 27 baby bump.
Oh yeah...and here is Week 27 baby bump.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Belly Bump - 26 Weeks
Ok...it took me 26 weeks, but I got Leandra to finally get a picture of the baby bump. It may not look like much, but it's a pretty solid bump...trust me. I also agreed to not put it on Facebook, but the blog was OK. We'll be doing a weekly pic ewvery Monday the rest of the way.
Leandra had a doctor's appointment today. The baby's heartbeat 146 beats/minute. I'm not sure what that means exactly, but there is a heartbeat and that's all that matters. She was supposed to have some bloodword done to determine if gestational diabetes could play a rolw in the rest of the pregnancy, but that was delayed until the next appointment.
Speaking of the next appointment...we will be having another ultrasound in two weeks. I guess this particular hospital doesn't normally have a second ultrasound (maybe that's pretty universal...I don't know), but because our child was mooning us on the last ultrasound, the doctor wants a new set to make sure everything is developing correctly.
Next week: new baby bump pic.
Two weeks: more baby bump + ultrasound.
Leandra had a doctor's appointment today. The baby's heartbeat 146 beats/minute. I'm not sure what that means exactly, but there is a heartbeat and that's all that matters. She was supposed to have some bloodword done to determine if gestational diabetes could play a rolw in the rest of the pregnancy, but that was delayed until the next appointment.Speaking of the next appointment...we will be having another ultrasound in two weeks. I guess this particular hospital doesn't normally have a second ultrasound (maybe that's pretty universal...I don't know), but because our child was mooning us on the last ultrasound, the doctor wants a new set to make sure everything is developing correctly.
Next week: new baby bump pic.
Two weeks: more baby bump + ultrasound.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
USI: Hearts on Fire 5K
On Saturday, February 12, 2011, I officially started my trek towards the SIC Half Marathon by running the USI: Hearts on Fire 5K. I guess you could say that I started a couple of weeks ago since I have been training for about a month prepping for this run. This is only the second organized run I have ever done. I did a 7K run last year, but I'm doing a series of runs leading up to the half-marathon.Being a cyclists, I have to adapt my clothing for running. My insulated leggings and cycling gloves did the trick. After that, a long sleeved t-short with a short sleeved over that, a bandana and sunglasses. Good to go. One a side note, I wanted to wear a Packer's t-shirt, but they were all XL from my "Fat Dan" days. When I found the Milwaukee Brewers; Racing Sausages shirt...at a large...it was a no-brainer.
I'm not really sure how many people did this run, but it is considered the first run in the SIC series. Knowing that I wasn't going to be taking any awards, I tried to find a spot where I would not be in the way of the real runnners, but not getting held up by the walkers. A little after 9:00 am, with the sound of the gun, we were off.
The route runs pretty much through the University of Southern Indiana campus. It's not a huge campus so you get to see all of it. As a matter of fact, there were areas that I had never seen before so I could at least see something new.
I felt pretty good at the start of the run. My pace felt pretty decent and faster than what I would take onthe treadmill at the gym. There is a bit of an andrenaline rush with everyone being on the road to give a bit of a giddyup.
For the few times that I have been on campus, I didn't really consider the area to be hilly. Generally, it's not. Trying to maintain a pace while running up a hill...even if it is gradual incline... is much different when running.
At the 3K point, I started to get a little tight in the shins and the burn began to set in the legs. My pace dropped off a little bit, but I was still moving.
The best part of the run was the end...DOWNHILL. Not being an experienced runner, my first inclination was to keep my pace and hold up as I descended. I was a little worried to let loose and get my legs tangled and take a digger. Once the downhill set in, my shins were taking a harder pounding than running on the flats as I tried to hold back my pace through the descent.
I thought to myself, "This is dumb. I just gotta go."
I opened it up, extended my stride, and basically sprinted down the hill. It was nice to maintain that final pace as the finish line was at the bottom of the hill.The official times haven't been posted and I didn't stick around long enough to see a print out. I think I came in at around 27:30 which I am pretty pleased with. I was just happy to be back within 30 minutes. I usuually pace myself on the treadmill at the gym at 5.2 mph. My pace on the course was around 6.5 mph.
That's it for the run. Very pleased with the results. I need to get in more outside running and with the weather slowly getting warmer, that should be happening soon.
My next run is in March for a 7K (4+ mile) run called the Run of Luck.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Taking the Week Off (Kind of)
As I said last week, I decided to step away from the instructional side of Group Kick and use this week to prep for the 5k run I have on Saturday. I still went to my normal classes...in fact I still attended two Kick classes at the gym.
The first was on Saturday. This time around I went as a general attendee. It was nice to see myself in a mirror and make sure my technique was sound. As an instructor, you have to face the crowd so you have to base your technique on feel. For the most part, I feel the same as I did before. Kicks need work...yadda, yadda.
The hardest part of the class was "unreversing" myself. When instructing, I work as a mirror image of the participants. Basically, when I say "Right," I have to display my left and vice versa. Undoing that was a little challenging.
After Monday and Tuesday classes, I ran 3.1 miles (or 5K). I didn't got at a killer pace...just kept it easy. I know that the rush of running in a crowd will increase my overall pace, but I know I won't be winning anything.
Kick on Wednesday was the same as Saturday. I was able to figure the "right/left" issue much better this time around. I had Boot Camp afterwards and called it a night.
I was planning on hitting the gym one more time on Thursday until I realized that I had a bike club meeting (HA!). I got two days of rest instead of one. Can't complain about that.
I'll have an update posted tomorrow after the 5K.
The first was on Saturday. This time around I went as a general attendee. It was nice to see myself in a mirror and make sure my technique was sound. As an instructor, you have to face the crowd so you have to base your technique on feel. For the most part, I feel the same as I did before. Kicks need work...yadda, yadda.
The hardest part of the class was "unreversing" myself. When instructing, I work as a mirror image of the participants. Basically, when I say "Right," I have to display my left and vice versa. Undoing that was a little challenging.
After Monday and Tuesday classes, I ran 3.1 miles (or 5K). I didn't got at a killer pace...just kept it easy. I know that the rush of running in a crowd will increase my overall pace, but I know I won't be winning anything.
Kick on Wednesday was the same as Saturday. I was able to figure the "right/left" issue much better this time around. I had Boot Camp afterwards and called it a night.
I was planning on hitting the gym one more time on Thursday until I realized that I had a bike club meeting (HA!). I got two days of rest instead of one. Can't complain about that.
I'll have an update posted tomorrow after the 5K.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Ready for My Video
I had two opportunities this week to teach a full class of Group Kick and I took advantage of both chances. The first took place on Wednesday evening; the second on Friday morning. Up until this point, I had done groups of songs, usually 5-6, and split the mic time with the instructor. This time around, I was mic'd up for the full hour.Wednesday went really well. By about the 7th song, I started to feel the burn in my arms and legs from the classes I took on Monday and Tuesday at the gym. I made it through with little problems, but my form started taking a dive as I struggled to get through track 7-8 (which are the toughest tracks on the CD).
This morning I had another shot to lead a class. My biggest concern was pulling myself through another hour. Prior to Wednesday class, I did a one-hour class on Monday and Tuesday, and had all day Wednesday to rest up. For this class, I did two one-hour classes on Wednesday and Thursday with no recovery time on Friday. Stamina would likely be an issue.
I made it through the class and got some nice feedback from the instructor. She had the opportunity to talk to some of the particpants and found two things that were brought up.
1.) I need to give a little better direction on the use of R/L hands and legs, specifically on fast combos. No problem.
2.) I was told my eye contact was a little "weird." Apparently as I am moving around and giving instruction in the front of the room, my gaze can look a little "interesting" as I'm trying to focus on the next move sequence. I can understand it...not sure how to fix it. In talking to the instructor, this is probably a tendency that results from my performance background, where direct crowd connection is always needed.
I think I'm in a good place. There were a few small glitches where I missed a transition as I was working on some directed instruction or I was overthinking the next sequence, but nothing major. I feel I'm ready at this point. I think if I did my video today in class, I could be happy with the final product.
Since I have two weeks until my video, I figure that I can lay low for a little bit. Next weekend, I have a 5K run that I am going to focus on. The following week, I'll probably start reviewing everything again to prep for the video.
Let the countdown begin.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Balancing Babies and Business
Leandra and I sat down this evening as she was looking at the various craft fairs that she has been doing traditionally over the past few years. Our past conversations usually revolve around if I can cover for her on a Saturday if she has to work. Of course, that conversation tends to happen the week of the event when she gets her schedule and she gives me the "puppy dog look."
With a baby on the way, we have had to start taking a long hard look at what can reasonably be done. For instance, there is a craft fair that she just got into last year called the Frog Follies. Unlike most craft fairs, this is a three-day show, which usually means that we can bring a good chunk of money.
This year, we have to start questioning whether or not we can do it at all. Work schedules, day care, and one car are all contributing factors as to whether or not we can make this work.
Sunday won't be a problem. Leandra will have that day off from work, until next November so I can stay home with the baby. Friday has the potential for some difficulty pending the day care situation, but should not be the end of the world.
Saturday will be sticky. Leandra will most likely be working at Opus 1, which means that I would be working the craft fair. I also would need to deal with the baby at the craft fair. Not ideal for a three-month old.
The money is good, we just need to figure out the details. Luckily, most craft fairs are one-day deals, but with Opus 1 being closed on Sundays, they can't give Leandra off every Saturday she requests without being unfair to the rest of the workers.
Looks like Dan and the baby are going to start getting really familiar with candles sales.
With a baby on the way, we have had to start taking a long hard look at what can reasonably be done. For instance, there is a craft fair that she just got into last year called the Frog Follies. Unlike most craft fairs, this is a three-day show, which usually means that we can bring a good chunk of money.
This year, we have to start questioning whether or not we can do it at all. Work schedules, day care, and one car are all contributing factors as to whether or not we can make this work.
Sunday won't be a problem. Leandra will have that day off from work, until next November so I can stay home with the baby. Friday has the potential for some difficulty pending the day care situation, but should not be the end of the world.
Saturday will be sticky. Leandra will most likely be working at Opus 1, which means that I would be working the craft fair. I also would need to deal with the baby at the craft fair. Not ideal for a three-month old.
The money is good, we just need to figure out the details. Luckily, most craft fairs are one-day deals, but with Opus 1 being closed on Sundays, they can't give Leandra off every Saturday she requests without being unfair to the rest of the workers.
Looks like Dan and the baby are going to start getting really familiar with candles sales.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
First Round of Baby Furniture
We finally bit the bullet and ordered our first bit of baby furniture today. We went to a place in town called The Kid's Room that was having a winter clearance sale. We purchased a crib and a dresser/hutch combo. The combo was on clearance so we decided to go with it.
We figure to store the hutch for awhile so we can use the dresser as a changing area as well. We looked at a "changing pad thinger" to put the baby on when we are changing it and the thinger fits perfectly.
The Kid's Room offers four months of layaway, which we are taking advantage of. I figure that we will pick up everything in late March/early April. Here is what we got.
We figure to store the hutch for awhile so we can use the dresser as a changing area as well. We looked at a "changing pad thinger" to put the baby on when we are changing it and the thinger fits perfectly.
The Kid's Room offers four months of layaway, which we are taking advantage of. I figure that we will pick up everything in late March/early April. Here is what we got.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Group Kick: Prepping for the Video (Part One)
Leandra and I came to the Tuesday night to let me practiced Group Kick tracks. I ran the first three tracks twice and then three other just once. A few bumps, but all went well.
Last night, I went to Group Kick class and asked the instructor if I could shadow him. He said it wouldn't be a problem and asked if I wanted to teach any of the tracks. I jumped on tracks 6 & 7 and stayed at the front of the room for the entire class. It was obvious which tracks I haven't worked on yet since I was constantly checking over my shoulder to catch the next move. For the most part, all went well.
After class I went to Boot Camp which was torture, but I was stuck until the wife could pick me up so I may as well have done something. After class, I marked my way through the six tracks one more time (again...killing time). I think it's safe to say that I have 6 tracks down solid.
My one week goal leaving the weekend training was to learn the first three tracks. Mission accomplished. So here is my progress this far:
Ready to go:
Track 1: Warm-Up
Track 2: Box
Track 3: Muay Thai #1
Track 6: Superbox
Track 7: Fight #2
Track 10: Cool Down
Almost Ready:
Track 9: Condititoning
Need to Work on:
Track 4: Kicks (I'm struggling with kicks)
Track 5: Fight #1 (Just need to sit down with it)
Track 8: Muy Thai #2: (The "Beast")
At this point, I need to figure out if I want to wait until the end if February. I know I need to work on technique (especially on kicks), but do I want to wait a whole month when I might have everything memorized by the end of next week?
Last night, I went to Group Kick class and asked the instructor if I could shadow him. He said it wouldn't be a problem and asked if I wanted to teach any of the tracks. I jumped on tracks 6 & 7 and stayed at the front of the room for the entire class. It was obvious which tracks I haven't worked on yet since I was constantly checking over my shoulder to catch the next move. For the most part, all went well.
After class I went to Boot Camp which was torture, but I was stuck until the wife could pick me up so I may as well have done something. After class, I marked my way through the six tracks one more time (again...killing time). I think it's safe to say that I have 6 tracks down solid.
My one week goal leaving the weekend training was to learn the first three tracks. Mission accomplished. So here is my progress this far:
Ready to go:
Track 1: Warm-Up
Track 2: Box
Track 3: Muay Thai #1
Track 6: Superbox
Track 7: Fight #2
Track 10: Cool Down
Almost Ready:
Track 9: Condititoning
Need to Work on:
Track 4: Kicks (I'm struggling with kicks)
Track 5: Fight #1 (Just need to sit down with it)
Track 8: Muy Thai #2: (The "Beast")
At this point, I need to figure out if I want to wait until the end if February. I know I need to work on technique (especially on kicks), but do I want to wait a whole month when I might have everything memorized by the end of next week?
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Group Kick Training
I just finished my third and final day of Group Kick training at Bob's Gym. I'm pretty sore. What is Group Kick? For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, check out the video as I think a visual would give a better idea of what I was doing.
All in all, there is a program comprised of 10 tracks of music with sequenced fight moves of varying levels of intensity. Each song has ten rounds -- five for the right side and then repeated in full on the left side. The program uses boxing, martial arts and Muay Thai movements and strikes.
There were six of us taking the class. Our instructor's name was Rex (or his unofficial nickname of "Sexy Rexy"). We started out Friday running the entire program for top to bottom. After the cooldown, we discussed a number of concepts regarding the overall brand of Group Kick and Body Training Systems. Then we started reviewing the various boxing strikes and kicks and the proper techniques for displaying them. We focused on the three boxing tracks by reviewing them as a group and running each track twice. I was assigned Track 6 -- the "Superbox" track -- to learn and teach the next day. The music used for the routine was Waterloo by ABBA. (I'll admit, I got lucky because the kick track is my weakest of the three. I was a little happy to not get it.)
One thing to be aware of, the instructor has to act as a mirror to the participants. We learn and teach everything on the reverse side. So if I am calling out a right handed movement, I demonstrate it simultaneously on my left side. For simple movements, it's not that big of a deal. For combinations, it can get complicated.
I picked up the track pretty quickly that evening. On Saturday morning, the first thing we did after our warm-up was teach our tracks to each other (even though we sort of knew all of them already). Rex recorded each of us and we reviewed/assessed them afterwards. After some more discussion, we moved onto learning the various martial arts and Muay Thai movements used. We then moved into reviewing the four tracks that use these concepts...running each of them twice. I was assigned the second "fight" track; set to "Don't Bring Me Down" by ELO (part of it is shown in the trailer video above).
I was able to pick up the sequences pretty quickly which was good for me because I spent a good portion of the evening watching the Packers DECIMATE the Falcons. The next morning was tough. We had an early start and I was starting to hurt. My back was tightening up and my knees were taking a beating. My ribs were getting a little sore and anytime I sneezed or coughed (I think I am coming down with something), I felt it.
We started Sunday morning with our warm-up and moved right to teaching our assigned tracks. I was the only person to be assigned track #7 so I had the option of teaching the full class with the mic headset. How could I say no? We repeated the assessment sequence by watching some video of our instruction. I was pretty happy with my work. It wasn't perfect, but I felt comfortable enough with the routine to have a little fun with it.
After some more discussion, we had a Team Training session with 8 tracks of music with power and cardio peaks after each track. Power peaks target certain muscles groups for a full minute. Cardio peaks lasts about a minute and a half and gets your heart pumping. In a normal program, these are spread out. In this training session, they occurred after each track. I think they were shorter in length, but doing eight of them after a pretty intensive weekend was tough.
I'm chilling out now with a heating pad on my back. My work isn't officially over. I still have to submit a video of me teaching the full 10-track program with a class with at least 5 willing (or non-willing) participants. I'm shooting to do my class at the end of February. I'm planning on getting the entire routine down by the end of January and using February to work on proper technique and general review.
I don't have a date set yet, but I would enjoy having as many warm bodies in my class as possible. Stay tuned.
On a side note: It may look tought, but you do what you can do. There are some things that are on the video that I can't do...or can't do well. If it looks tough, well, it is challenging, but a lot of fun. I only did it for about a month and saw a sign that the gym was looking for more instructors. I thought to myself, "I can totally do this." If you make it to a class once I start teaching, I'll make it worth your while.
All in all, there is a program comprised of 10 tracks of music with sequenced fight moves of varying levels of intensity. Each song has ten rounds -- five for the right side and then repeated in full on the left side. The program uses boxing, martial arts and Muay Thai movements and strikes.
There were six of us taking the class. Our instructor's name was Rex (or his unofficial nickname of "Sexy Rexy"). We started out Friday running the entire program for top to bottom. After the cooldown, we discussed a number of concepts regarding the overall brand of Group Kick and Body Training Systems. Then we started reviewing the various boxing strikes and kicks and the proper techniques for displaying them. We focused on the three boxing tracks by reviewing them as a group and running each track twice. I was assigned Track 6 -- the "Superbox" track -- to learn and teach the next day. The music used for the routine was Waterloo by ABBA. (I'll admit, I got lucky because the kick track is my weakest of the three. I was a little happy to not get it.)
One thing to be aware of, the instructor has to act as a mirror to the participants. We learn and teach everything on the reverse side. So if I am calling out a right handed movement, I demonstrate it simultaneously on my left side. For simple movements, it's not that big of a deal. For combinations, it can get complicated.
I picked up the track pretty quickly that evening. On Saturday morning, the first thing we did after our warm-up was teach our tracks to each other (even though we sort of knew all of them already). Rex recorded each of us and we reviewed/assessed them afterwards. After some more discussion, we moved onto learning the various martial arts and Muay Thai movements used. We then moved into reviewing the four tracks that use these concepts...running each of them twice. I was assigned the second "fight" track; set to "Don't Bring Me Down" by ELO (part of it is shown in the trailer video above).
I was able to pick up the sequences pretty quickly which was good for me because I spent a good portion of the evening watching the Packers DECIMATE the Falcons. The next morning was tough. We had an early start and I was starting to hurt. My back was tightening up and my knees were taking a beating. My ribs were getting a little sore and anytime I sneezed or coughed (I think I am coming down with something), I felt it.
We started Sunday morning with our warm-up and moved right to teaching our assigned tracks. I was the only person to be assigned track #7 so I had the option of teaching the full class with the mic headset. How could I say no? We repeated the assessment sequence by watching some video of our instruction. I was pretty happy with my work. It wasn't perfect, but I felt comfortable enough with the routine to have a little fun with it.
After some more discussion, we had a Team Training session with 8 tracks of music with power and cardio peaks after each track. Power peaks target certain muscles groups for a full minute. Cardio peaks lasts about a minute and a half and gets your heart pumping. In a normal program, these are spread out. In this training session, they occurred after each track. I think they were shorter in length, but doing eight of them after a pretty intensive weekend was tough.
I'm chilling out now with a heating pad on my back. My work isn't officially over. I still have to submit a video of me teaching the full 10-track program with a class with at least 5 willing (or non-willing) participants. I'm shooting to do my class at the end of February. I'm planning on getting the entire routine down by the end of January and using February to work on proper technique and general review.
I don't have a date set yet, but I would enjoy having as many warm bodies in my class as possible. Stay tuned.
On a side note: It may look tought, but you do what you can do. There are some things that are on the video that I can't do...or can't do well. If it looks tough, well, it is challenging, but a lot of fun. I only did it for about a month and saw a sign that the gym was looking for more instructors. I thought to myself, "I can totally do this." If you make it to a class once I start teaching, I'll make it worth your while.
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