My Favorite Artists

Friday, I travelled to Wilmington, NC to see Donavon Frankenreiter. He put on a wonderful performance and I was so glad I FINALLY got to see him. It completed my list of seeing all ten of my favorite bands.

Which leads to this post...this topic has come out several times this week so I thought, I'd write a post about it.

My favorite 10 bands of all time and my current 10 bands that I'm listening too. I really don't see a difference but one person I spoke to said they had to have released a current album in the last year and I decided that it was an artist you listen to an entire album at least once a week EVERY week.

TOP 10 All Time Favorite artists in alphabetical order and the furtherest I've traveled to see them:
- Butch Walker (have only seen in Charlotte, NC)
- Donavon Frankenreiter (Wilmington, NC)
- Jimmy Buffett (Raleigh, NC)
- Matthew Ryan (Asheville, NC)
- Rammstein (Las Vegas, NV and New York, NY)
- Ryan Adams (Columbia, SC)
- Sponge (Raleigh, NC)
- Stereophonic (Atlanta, GA)
- U2 (Raleigh, NC)
- Xavier Rudd (in Oct '12 - Asheville, NC and Atlanta, GA)

TOP 10 Current Bands I am listening to:
- 26
- The Constellations
- Dead Sara
- Donavon Frankenreiter
- Jimmy Buffett
- Lostprophets
- Matthew Ryan
- Rammstein
- Ryan Adams
- Xavier Rudd

Of all the bands listed, I have seen them all except for 26. I hope that will be corrected in 2013.

Beast Mode: Week 2, Day 3-7

Day 3
Cardio:
- 53 minutes walk/jog
Strength:
- 50 crunches
- 50 bicyles
- 50 lower ab & crunches
- 3x15 floordips
- 3x21 21's bicep curls
- 3x21 21's tricep extensions
- 3x21 21's row

Day 4/5
Rest

Day 6
Cardio - 1.02 walk

Day 7
Cardio: 30 mins on treadmill walk/jog
Strength:
-3x20 leg press
-3x10 leg curl
-3x10 leg extension
-3x15 squat with calf raise & shoulder press
-abs

Beast Mode: Week 2, Day 2

Cardio: PM approximately a 3.10 mile walk (62 minutes)

Strength:
2 x 15 squats with bicep curl
2 x 15 squats with shoulder press
2 x 15 lunges with bicep curl
2 x 15 lunges with shoulder press

Beast Mode: Week 2, Day 1

AM:
Cardio: 2.09 mile (run/walk) in 32 minutes
Strength:
300 abs
3 x 15 matrix
3 x 15 chest press (machine)
3 x 15 chest flies (weights)
3 x 15 overhead press
2 x 12 pushups

It wasn't any easier getting up this morning than any day last week. I also need to find out my headache trigger. It's either the back/shoulder muscle work outs or the carbs in the morning. Will figure it out. Wanted to work out afterwork but had plans to go see friends. Their hugs were much needed.

Beast Mode: Week 1, Day 6 and 7

Day 6: cardio only - 2 miles (walk/jog) 38 minutes

Day 7: cardio 20 minutes walk/jog - wasn't scheduled to do cardio today but felt like I needed something to get the heart pumping and possibly make the residual headache pains I had from the night before go away. Heart was pumped but headache still remained.

Strength:
3 x 15 squat with 2 5lb shoulder press
3 x 15 lunge with 2 5lb bicep curls
300 abs

Beast Mode: Week 1 Day 5

Cardio: 2 miles (walk/jog) in 34 minutes

Strength:
3 x 15 Floordips
3 x 21 21's Bicep Curls (more on 21's)
3 x 15 Tricep extensions
3 x 15 Rows
300 Abs

Today My Body Inches:
Chest: 32.5 inches
Breasts: 36.5 inches
Waist: 34 (natural waist)
"Buddha" aka Stomach: 38 inches
Hips: 39.25 inches
Left Arm: 11.75 inches
Right Arm: 11.50 inches
Left Leg: 22 inches
Right Arm: 22.50 inches

Thoughts for Today:
It's been easier for me to run but it's hell on my right calf and knee. My shins don't bother me nearly as much as they did in the first 2 weeks. The muscles I'm working out with strength ache but it's a good ache. A reminder that I'm shredding them and rebuilding them to something great. My aim for my "buddha" (aka my belly fat) is down to 34 inches. I've got 4 to go. Not impossible and totally reachable. I know I can do it. I don't have to have a ripped body builder body. My body wants to be toned and healthy. I don't have a scale so I don't know how much I weigh, and that number really isn't a concern for me. It's how I feel about myself each day and how I feel when I am finished working out.

I'm very proud of myself this week. I've stuck with my plan, tracked my successes, marked my days off, and rested when my body said rest. Week One almost complete. Eleven more to go!

Listening to "Knee Deep" by Big Wreck

Beast Mode: Week 1, Day 3 and 4

Day Three

Cardio: 3.39 miles is 60 minutes

Strength:

3 x 15 stability ball chest press

3 x 15 bench chest press

3 x 15 stability ball lat swim (holy hell that was hard)

3 x 15 stability ball pushup

3 x 15 overhead press machine

300 ab workout

3 x 15 matrix

Day Four - August 16th - rest. No cardio. No strength. I spent the day playing in the park with kids.

Beast Mode: Week 1 Day 2

Cardio:
AM: 2.09 mile (run/walk) in 38 minutes
PM: 1.30 mile walk in 25 minutes

Strength:
10 mins on treadmill
3 x 15 leg press
3 x 15 leg curls
3 x 15 leg extension
3 x 15 squat with 1 5lb overhead lift
3 x 15 squat with shoulder press with 2 5lb
3 x 15 lunge with rotation with 1 5lb weight

The AM run was almost easy. After 5 weeks, I'm able to run more but my legs and calves hate it. I haven't reached the point where I can just power through the pain in the shins/calves yet, but I can feel it's coming close.

The PM walk was out of boredom and an extra little kick.

The strength almost felt like it wasn't enough, but I didn't want to kick myself in the ass and not be able to do anything tomorrow or hurt myself so I just stayed with the what I had written down.

Overall, I felt accomplished today.

Listening to "Where We Belong" by Lostprophets

Beast Mode

I am on my 6th week consecutive week of working out via walking/jogging/running. When I started this 6 weeks ago, I didn't think I would stick with it. I have a real bad habit of doing a workout regimen a week or two and then letting my life throw a giant monkey wrench in it. BUT here I am, week six in full swing...and I have no desire to stop.

Whatever happened on July 9th to me mentally, I'm grateful it happened.

Into my 6th week, I knew I needed to add strength training into my work out mix. Yoga here and there wasn't going to cut it. So I set up a 12 week strength/yoga/cardio program. I sent it to my roommates and two other friends. I said here's what I'm doing, join me if you want. I'm not going to pressure them into doing the 12 weeks with me. I didn't pressure them into doing the previous 5 weeks with me. If they wanted to join me, they could. If they wanted to go out for dinner and drinks, it was their choice. If I took Friday and Saturday of last week off and partied to hard in celebrating a dear friend's birthday, it was my choice and my reward for not eating sweets for three weeks and not drinking alcohol for three weeks.

So this week, August 13th - kicks off what I'm calling BEAST MODE. It's 12 weeks of strength (4 to 5 times a week), yoga (3 to 4 times a week) and cardio (5 to 6 times a week). It's tracking my calories and keeping them close to 1200 as possible. It's tracking the food I'm using as fuel and making sure I'm putting the right fuel into my body.

I'm holding me accountable for my health. I can be the only one to change me. I've done it for the last 5 weeks, 12 more won't be a cake walk, but I know it can be done. One week at a time. One day at a time. One work out at a time.

Beast Mode Week One, Day One: Complete and minus the burn in my calves and the stitch in my ab muscles, I feel like I'm on top of the world.

Beast Mode Week One, Day One workout: (m-machine) (fw-free weights)
3 sets @ 15 reps:
- overhead press (m)
- chest press (m)
- lateral arm raises (m)
- lat pull down (m)
- bicep curl (fw)
300 abs workout
- 4 miles (walk/jog) 68 mins

Listening to "Closer to the Edge" by 30 Seconds to Mars

Standing a Little Taller Today

There will always be songs that take you back to a certain memory, a moment caught in the wiring of the mind forever. There are songs that bring back the sensation of your first kiss or crush. There are songs that make you see that perfect sun set every time it plays across your ears.

Then there are songs that will always make you stand a little taller, feel a little stronger, and make you a little bigger on this giant planet with 7+ billion people on it.

I have wrote about this song many a times and how much it means to me. It will forever be a part of me in memory and in ink (I have lyrics tattooed on my arm).

As I played "Closer to the Edge" today, it made me stand a little taller, feel a little stronger, and take a lot more pride in myself and in my life.

I have the lyrics "I will never forget. I will never regret. I will live my life closer to the edge" tattooed on me.

Today, I'm going to live my life in closer to the edge than before and every day after just as close if not closer.

"Closer to the Edge" (Unplugged)

Get More: 30 Seconds To Mars, Closer to the Edge (MTV Unplugged), Music, More Music Videos

Previous posts on Closer to the Edge
http://www.sheliataylor.com/2011/12/celebrating-lek.html
http://www.sheliataylor.com/2011/07/closer-to-edge-unplugged.html
http://www.sheliataylor.com/2011/03/tribute-to-lek.html
http://www.sheliataylor.com/2010/08/closer-to-edge.html

Self Rescuing Princess

When I have a down-whoa-is-me, I need a man in my life moment, I always remind myself of the tee shirt I saw on Think Geek that simple read: "Self Rescuing Princess".

Over the weekend, my traveling partner in crime, Amy, sent me the below with the message "I love this and thought you'd get it."

I replied back and told her this was perfect and going into my nieces' keepsake boxes. Both have words of wisdom and music they'll get when they turn 18. They need to know the knowledge that I've learned. They need to be women who make a difference. Not women who are indifferent. They will be self rescuing princesses.

This weekend, I was reminded that I AM A SELF RESCUING PRINCESS. NO PRINCE CHARMING NEEDED.

Listening to "Follow the Sun" by Xavier Rudd

What Would You Do?

 Many of us, have often dreamed about knowing how long you'll live, what you'll be doing, and so on, but what if you were only given a certain amount of time.

What if you found out you were only going to live for another six months? What if you had found out that the cancer had spread and there was nothing the modern medical world could do for you anymore?

Makes you not want to know anymore doesn't it?

What would you do?

My uncle Roy, has been battling cancer for a while and today my dad told me he was given his life sentence of six months...the cancer has spread too far and there is nothing that medical world can do anymore except ease the pain as the cancer devours the body.

Roy taught me to appreciate the stars and how to find the big dipper. My love of astronomy grew from campfire nights staring at the darkness. Roy would take Crystal (his daughter), myself, and my sister, camping on weekends and we'd spend time roasting marshmallows and telling ghost stories. I have traveled with Roy, my aunt Gloria (who we call "Sister" since she was the only daughter my grandparents ever had), Crystal, and my family to Colorado where we lived in a camper during my first grade year. We lived in Georgia at a campground for a while too and in a motel in Texas during the summer of my fourth grade year. He and my dad were in construction and the family followed where they went.

As I remembered all of that today, I wondered what I would do if I were given a the ultimatum of "you have six months to live."

I know I would throw my nieces in a car and we'd camp out underneath the stars and travel as far as we could and as long as we could. I would show them the things that were passed down to me. I would teach them astronomy like my Uncle Roy did for me and I would teach them to love travel like their grandma did for me.

I think one can turn a life time of living into a wonderful six months of life. It's not a death sentence. It's permission to do the things you have always wanted to do but have been scared to do.

I don't know what Roy and Sister will be doing, and to be be honest, it's none of my business, but I hope they're going to spend as much time on a bike, traveling the great roads together, and I hope they spend it with their daughter and grandson taking in every last bit of sunshine in each day and moonlight in each night.

Update on 3 Week Challenge: No Sweets, No Alcohol

2 weeks almost down. I have sat at a fantastic restaurant and turned down their to die for dessert trio of mini chocolate cake, key lime pie, and cheesecake. I have turned down fantastic glasses of wine and beer.

I have stood strong in the face of sweets and alcohol.

I have one week to go.

Proof that giving up the unhealthy, though tough in the beginning, is worth it.