July Sweat Fest!

Whoever is trying to bring you down, is already below you.

 Surround yourself with those who only bring out the best in you. When you have positive relationships, your thoughts will be more positive, and this will lead to more positive action in your life as well.

My Mama always said you've got to put the past behind you before you can move on.
 Forrest Gump

What a lovely quote to begin BootCamp with today! I hope that my friends and readers have had a hot and wonderful summer and are enjoying their friends and family. I am personally working hard to get my fitness back together and find my 'mojo'! I think I lost it in the last 10 months. Dealing with Breast Cancer, multiple surgeries, reconstruction nightmares and all that has come with that has just about broken my heart. I am forcing myself to look at what has taken place and not run from it. I have been incredibly emotional and have found true strength in my family. We have chosen to take time away and have had a wonderful vacation last week with friends...which has done much to heal. 

I look forward to each workout in the gym as an opportunity to catch what I have lost and hope to regain my mojo!

In Health, Lisl

Big Daddy and I in Hilton Head last week! 

TUESDAY NIGHT..“Nobody ever drowned in sweat.”

- USMC saying come get sweaty today!!!

Ice Breaker!

Max reps pushups in 10 minutes. Every time you leave plank position perform 10 wall ball shots 

Wall Ball Sprints

Sprint 
20 x Wall Ball (20 lb, 10 lb)
Sprint 
30 x Wall Ball
Sprint 
30 x Wall Ball
Sprint 
20 x Wall Ball

then...

21-18-15-12-9-6-3
Front squat HEAVY
Sit-ups
Box Jumps
biceps

one minute
-Plank Holds-Flutter Kicks-side plank

Suicides if time....

Orange Creamsicle Protein Shake

Ingredients & Instructions:
•1 to 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder 

•6 to 8 ounces of water 

•4 to 6 ice cubes 

•1 peeled orange or substitute a pack of orange crystal light  or 4 - 6 oz of Orange Juice

•Mix in a blender on medium for 1 minute. Pour into a tall glass. Enjoy!

Measure up Bootcamp & Favorite Cycle song of the week

“The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” 

-Ann Landers

Have you checked out the Love to Get Fit Store lately? There are some new tanks, tshirts available! 

http://353512.spreadshirt.com/

Hello!!! I am so excited to be posting this morning! I have been feeling strong and wonderful, so, let's get back on it! Spring is around the corner, so, we have some work to do. In that light, we are hitting the pavement today for some running and picking up heavy things, aren't you excited?

some of my favorite BootyCamp girls!

Today's workout!
Warm up...
Tabata pushups and Dips
8 rounds, alternating between the 2.

Then, Run the club with a KB or a DB, at the back porch, do 30 KB swings, Run to the front, do 30 Air squats and 30 Wall Balls, go inside and do 30 Box Jumps.

We will do FIVE rounds, or, go until the hour is up, whichever comes first.
CORE if Time!
50 Flutter Kicks (4 count) and 50 Sit-ups (AFAP) anchored or unanchored

“Dan, I want to get bigger. Can you help me? Yes, eat more and lift heavier.
“Dan, I want to get thinner. Can you help me? Yes, eat less and lift heavier.
-Daniel John

My Favorite Indoor Cycle Song this week!

thoughts on 2012 and Jan Group Fitness Schedule

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
click the schedule tab in the right toolbar to get a copy of the January Group Fitness Schedule.

               Invictus

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.  

One of the greatest gifts in life is the ability to chart our own paths, to be the “masters of our fate, the captains of our soul” –

 to paraphrase William Ernest Henley. 

Knowing that you have this power to choose, to decide and to chart your own path, what do you choose for yourself today? for this month or even this year?  My hope for all those that this blog touches is that you look into your hearts and choose to grow as a mother, father, sister, brother, friend and to take a chance. We all experienced our own battles and achievements in 2011, and I would like to hear about yours in the comments section.  For me personally,I have decided not to let my experience with breast cancer define me, or let it limit me in any way. I am determined not to feel sad or sorry for myself as I realize who I am in this new corner of my life. I hope to inspire women and men to keep up with their heath screenings and pay attention to their bodies' cues. I also am even more determined to keep around me positive, loving and energized people. My husband and I are training for a 1/2 marathon and we are so excited to take on this challenge together! San Diego Rock and Roll 1/2 here we come! 

1.  What are your health and fitness goals for 2012?
2.  How can this blog and the bootcamp classes best support you in achieving your goals?

Pink RockStar...present and dealing

‎"There is only one you for all time. Fearlessly be yourself." -Anthon

y Rapp

My 9 year old drew this, I am Lisl the Cancer fighter....shooting bullets
at 'Evil Cancer'. He drew this when we were out to dinner one night
about a week before the Mastectomy.

My little girl who is 7 drew this. I am the angel floating up in the sky.

Someone said to me yesterday at the gym, "wow. you are back! you look so wonderful!"

I thought, to myself, "I am not back, I am just present."

I still feel really numb and a little shell shocked at what has happened. I am very emotional, sad, horrified even sometimes.

I had my weekly visit on Tuesday with Dr. Keller, my doctor in charge of reconstruction. He isn't happy with the way two of the surgery wounds are healing. So, on Friday I have to go in for an outpatient procedure where he will try to make those places heal better and hopefully look better. The skin is super thin and it has been stretched. It's not really cooperating, so, I am happy he is dong something about it. My heart skips every time I look down. The expanders are lumpy, misshapen, and hard. They are not very comfortable, and when people hug me, I know they feel hard. I am very self conscious about the way it looks and I get embarrassed when people say, "wow, look at your big old boobies". I really liked the ones I used to have, so, this isn't like an in improvement.


I have tried to go to the gym and workout. I can do the elliptical and I can ride the spin bike. I sweat alot, which is good and feels like I am working hard. Most importantly, I see the faces that are familiar to me and I speak to my friends and that is the best therapy of all. 

My HUGE array of medicine is down to nothing, thank goodness, no more pain meds for now, no more prednisone, no more antibiotics. They are all replaced with gauze, saline, triple antibiotic, bandages and big square bandaids. I have to change the dressings twice a day.

My little girls is funny, she likes to help. Every night she follows me upstairs, watches what I do, cuts the gauze to fit and gently puts on the bandaids. I see her being very motherly and it warms me and breaks my heart at the same time. Yesterday afternoon, I was especially tired and had an awful headache (most likely from coming off the prednisone) and she said in a very motherly tone, "Mommy, when I finish my homework, lets go upstairs and get in the big bed. I will hold you, we can cuddle, I will read you a story and I will stroke your cheek." It sounded just like something I would say to her.

Tomorrow I have a follow up with the Surgical Oncologist. I know they will be doing labwork.

Thank you all for the wonderful notes I still get, thank you my friend Julie for bringing me the yummiest salad yesterday, thank you to mom who is coming Friday to take care of me and thank you to all of you who continue to show up, even though it's inconvenient or you are busy or you really need to be cooking and cleaning and carrying on with your own stuff...this has meant the world to Big Daddy and I.

still have the 'deer in the
headlights' look....

oh, and to my sister in law, I broke down and fed the kids a dang Chicken Casserole from the freezer.

XXOO Lisl

This is about 2 weeks post surgery, tubes still in, and bandages covering the
'awfulness'.

Having an allergic reaction to some meds...
most likely the antibiotic. Spent three
days in the hospital.

It amuses me to play with the
implants in the Drs office!

The Process of Curing Cancer

...is exhausting. I can't believe how drained I feel every day. I call it my sinking spell, each afternoon, I get physically and mentally exhausted. I want to cry, I want to put on my jammies and crawl into bed and not speak to anyone. When you get a breast cancer diagnosis, you search every blog, medical website, book, and doctor's office pamphlet. You read, learn, write questions, and read some more. It took us about 15 minutes of research to find everything that we wanted to know.  Chan and I are black and white people.  We have questions, we want answers. Cancer isn't black and white, it's grey and elusive and doesn't give straight forward answers. We were told after this first diagnosis that my lymph nodes were clear and that the biopsy showed no cancer. We were elated.  Yet, our doctors keep talking about the lymph nodes.  They don't 'look' right, they are lumpy and bumpy. Whatever that means. I hate lumpy and bumpy. Especially on my thighs, I never thought I would hate it on my lymph nodes! I went Monday to give a blood sample for the geneticist. They want to see if I carry the gene mutation.

Chan takes notes at each meeting, he
writes down everything the doctors say and
asks all the questions.

In 1994, the first gene associated with breast cancer — BRCA1 (for BReast CAncer1) was identified on chromosome 17. A year later, a second gene associated with breast cancer — BRCA2 — was discovered on chromosome 13. When individuals carry a mutated form of either BRCA1 or BRCA2, they have an increased risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer at some point in their lives. Children of parents with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation have a 50 percent chance of inheriting the gene mutation. 
from Breastcenter.com

When I gave the blood, it was in the chemo room, nice. They messed it up, I had to go back two days later and give more blood, which blew out my veins in my arm and I have a nice purple bruise growing down my arm. 

I have a feeling that this process of needle sticks, blood samples, and Xrays is just beginning.

needle stick number three...

I wake every morning and for the briefest moment, I have forgotten what is going on and I feel light. Then, the darkness sets in, the elephant gets back on my chest, I feel fear and dread. I don't carry that with me all day, I try to forget about it, but, sometimes it creeps in. I don't really cry that often, but, when I do, it shakes my whole body and I sob and sob. I don't feel sorry for myself. I actually feel very strong. I just need to let it all out, and crying works. 

I am so tired of feeling tired.

I am so over thinking about this every day.

I am finished with cancer defining who I am. 

I hate when people cry when they see me. 

I am ready to move on.

 Break up with cancer. 

We have a break up date, Wednesday at 9 am...bye bye.

Breast cancer is not just a disease that strikes at women. It strikes at the very heart of who we are as women: how others perceive us, how we perceive ourselves, how we live, work and raise our families-or whether we do these things at all.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz 



So if there is a purpose to the suffering that is cancer, I think it must be this: it’s meant to improve us. ~ Lance Armstrong

Pink RockStar...And We Have Been Charmed

Well dang, I don't feel sick, in fact I feel fabulous, strong, vibrant and my biceps have been looking pretty good lately in the gym!

 I have breast cancer? Not possible, not ever.  If you were to pick the poster child for health and fitness, it might be me. I have darkened the doors of every gym in the tri state area...for the last 20 years.  I think I have taught every person in SC how to do a step class, and I can out cycle anyone in the spin room. I am kindoff a freak about my fitness, nobody is freakier...at least nobody I know.  I have two precious children, Marshall is 9 and Sophie is 7. 

my boys

Don't forget Big Daddy, my Knight in Shining Armor. He promised me he was born lucky. "I'd rather be lucky than good." he always tells me. "Stick with me mama, we are going to live a charmed life." 
And we have been charmed.  

my birthday party last year, a little crazy
I can't believe that dooky was growing
in my booby.

We were married when I was 34 after I thought I would never ever find the perfect man. He was 32 and we were ready for a family. Our wedding was the best day of my life. It was July 14, 2002. Two months later we were attacked by terrorists in New York and he was in the city. He stood and watched the second tower fall. One month later we were expecting our precious baby boy. On our first anniversary we cradled a 7 day old baby. 
And we have been charmed....
We have frolicked, we have vacationed in Mexico, we lounged on the beach, we bought a new house, we made friends.  Our second child was born two years later. Sophie is the daughter I have dreamed of my whole life. 
And we have been charmed....
We have grown our children, holding hands, singing songs and loving life.


And we have been charmed.

biopsy bruises, actually pretty nice looking in
this pic, didn't want to share too much booby! Ignore
my chewed up nails...stress....

And then it was September 23, 2011 and I got the call from the sweetest nurse on the planet. "Precious, I have the biopsy report. So, the biopsy shows you have Ductal Carcinoma Insi tu." What is that, what on earth,  I have never heard of it, but, carcinoma sounds bad, my head was spinning, I looked at Chan, I fell to my knees, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't talk, I couldn't look at him. We hung up with the nurse after writing down everything that she said. We hugged, cried, felt weak. Looked at each other, held hands and decided to call our parents. I told Chan, call your daddy first, practice on him before you call my mom. So, we picked up the phone, called my father in law.  Chan couldn't speak, words would not come out, he choked. My father in law was scared, "what's wrong, Chan? Are you ok? Chan?" Finally Chan managed the words, , "It is positive, she has cancer." My father in law was quiet, "We can handle this", he said. "We will do whatever you need." I was encouraged, lifted. We called my mom, she was brave, but she couldn't fool me, she was scared, so was I. 


So, we spent the next four days hitting google, every search teaching me more and giving me more questions. I know this:


Ductal Carcinoma In Situ:
1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.


Ductal carcinoma starts in the tubes (ducts) that move milk from the breast to the nipple. Most breast cancers are of this type.

I snuck this pic when the doc was out of the room!! I am so nosy!
The black circle in the bottom right corner is the mass, it is
so tiny, 8mm. 

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer. Ductal means that the cancer starts inside the milk ducts, carcinoma refers to any cancer that begins in the skin or other tissues (including breast tissue) that cover or line the internal organs, and in situ means "in its original place." DCIS is called "non-invasive" because it hasn’t spread beyond the milk duct into any normal surrounding breast tissue. DCIS isn’t life-threatening, but having DCIS can increase the risk of developing an invasive breast cancer later on.

When you have had DCIS, you are at higher risk for the cancer coming back or for developing a new breast cancer than a person who has never had breast cancer before. Most recurrences happen within the 5 to 10 years after initial diagnosis. The chances of a recurrence are under 30%. 

(from Breastcancer.org)

Because of increased screening with mammograms, the rate at which DCIS is diagnosed has increased dramatically in recent years.

While DCIS isn't life-threatening, it does require treatment to prevent the condition from becoming invasive. Most women with DCIS are effectively treated with breast-conserving surgery and radiation. from Mayoclinic.com

So armed with these facts, we were ready scared, but, ready. 
I will share what's going on with my journey here, I was going to write a separate blog, but, this is all me, the workouts, the motivation, the recipes for my favorite salad, the breast cancer.
 I hope that this will help someone in their journey. Please share with whoever you think will like/need/read/appreciate this ramble. 
I am sure that some will gasp, she's writing about her cancer? Really? Isn't this supposed to be private? But if you know me, I can't keep a secret, I am transparent, I share everything, good, bad and cancer. 
I keep saying, "I am a rock star, watch me rock this!" But, I am scared and small. I need to be brave, hate to be pitied and can't stand to shrink away. So, stand beside me as I journey through my next life journey. Send me your thoughts, send me your love, WE got this~ 

my 'sister' Ranie, she is my Delaware RockStar.

My Fitness Truths

I write this as I sit in yet another doctor's office...that's another story, but, it brings more clear to me what is 'truth' in my fitness journey.
It is true that I own more jog bras, tank tops, black lululemon pants and running shorts than I do 'proper' clothes, and sometimes I find I don't have anything to wear to my children's school...so I go in sweats and a ball cap anyway...and pray that they don't talk about me...
It is true that I have been working out for 20 years, and I am still not satisfied, so much to learn, so much to do...Yoga? Spin? CrossFit? HalfMarathon? what's next?
It is true that I have to sweat profusely every day to feel like it's a good day.
It is true that I can't believe that my body is about to have it's 45th birthday, yet, I feel 20 years younger!
 (not sure I look like I am 20 years younger, but, it feels GOOD! and I truly love it when jaws drop when I tell how dang old I am!)
It is true that I still battle with self control, body image, and feeling 'not good enough'...STILL!
It is true that some days I push myself too hard, just to measure up to what I think that I should be... mostly I meet my expectations, sometimes not...and then I get up the next day and try again.
It is true that I still have that chubby not so strong girl that lives inside me.
It is true that when I feel physically strong, I feel mentally strong.
It is true that I like to eat lettuce in every variety with every vegetable and I know which restaurants in Greenville, serve the best salads...I love my greens~I rate a good restaurant based in their salad...oh and their Cosmo..very important combination...
It is true that I can make any version of chicken taste amazing and I can make egg whites be your best friend...

...but here it is, my biggest fitness truth isn't about me at all, it's about the precious women and girls I come in contact with every day...I believe with every part of me that passing on that love of sweat is my purpose! I hope and pray that everyone I meet in my club, in my classes and who read my blog learn that they too can be strong, sweaty, proud and fit...that there are no limits, no boundaries, nothing that can stop us from feeling like complete rock stars! I believe that we are all athletes just waiting to be discovered, and I have watched it happen over and over again, how wonderful!

So, my truth is always changing, it used to be so self centered...now I grow and help others...the best gift yet.

Oh wait one more thing, my baby girl...I have to teach her that she is good enough and can do anything, that big calves rock, big booties are amazing and that she is a rock star! that might be my best truth yet.

Lisl