Teen-to-Teen Fitness

Body Mass Index

2007-03-21T17:14:00.000-07:00

So, in the past there have been some disputes about the body mass of s. Fashion s. If you’re thinking train s, then I’m sorry. You’re reading the wrong blog. There is a rule in Spain now. They’ve banned s with a BMI (Body Mass Index) below 18.5, which is the cutoff for being underweight.

Growing up, I never really wanted to be any of the following things: Princess, , Prom Queen or (though ballerina and gymnast weren’t out of the question). But recently I watched a bit of a marathon of “America’s Next Top ”. I was very interested in it because I enjoy fashion (though not everything THEY were wearing) and also because of the photography aspect of it.

Only one in particular took my fancy, and that was because she had muscles. The others were literally skin-and-bones. I felt sorry for them.

So I started thinking that maybe Spain (and everywhere else) should only hire s with muscles. s with muscles are a much more encouraging body-type to aim for. These days some s see these s that look like they don’t eat at all. This seems to be the cause of low self-esteem and encourages eating disorders. The s starve themselves with the hopes of becoming just as skinny. But if s had muscles, then there’s something healthy we could all strive for, if we were indeed pressured to look like those people for some reason.

Another thing that encouraged me in the muscle-department, was thinking about sugar. I was watching something on TV and this guy was talking about sugar levels. He was saying that a healthy level is between the numbers of 80 and 120. Not that everyone takes their sugar on a regular basis because apparently diabetics are the only ones that have to worry about it. But according to the guy on TV it’s very important for everyone.

He was saying that if you don’t eat enough or stop eating, then your sugar goes down. That’s when your body stops burning carbs and fats for energy and starts burning muscle. But you shouldn’t overeat either. Your body goes into fat overload and is forced to store it, unless you exercise it off.

It’s become kind of a habit of mine to look at the nutrition labels of everything I possibly can. I look first at the calories, then at the fat, carbs and sugar. I enjoy power bars, but a lot of them actually have more calories inside than one single cookie. I have vowed never to buy a power bar that is more than 200 calories. And unless you’re on a football team that does 2-a-days 6 days a week, then I don’t recommend a 320 calorie power bar. What’s the point of eating something “healthy” if you’re not going to be in an Iron Man race? You might as well just go drink 3 cans of soda.

Well, I know this has been a lot of choppy science for you. If you have any questions what so ever, please ask them in the comment-thingy and I’ll answer them the best I can next time I write.

OH! Also, I wanted to talk a little more about Body Mass Index. According to the Centers for Disease Control, a healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. Anything below that is underweight. 25-29.9 is considered overweight and a BMI of 30 or more is said to be Obese. China’s Center of Adoption Affairs said that parents may not adopt if their BMI is 40 or more.

Frankly I think that BMI is a little over rated. Mine is 20.4, and I’ll tell you how to calculate your own. Get a calculator, unless you are one. Okay. Divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared and multiply that number by 703. Like this:

I am 68 inches tall.
Square that (68 x 68), and I get 4624.
Divide 134 (my weight) by 4624, equals 0.0289792 (to be slightly exact).
Multiply 0.0289792 times 703.
Answer: 20.372377

So I have a BMI of 20.4. Now YOU do it!

Well, I told you the system has some…um…issues. I mean, if I can compute it on a simple calculator (or you in your head), then it can’t be completely accurate. And especially people that work out. Muscle mass weighs more than fat. When all you do is calculate a bunch of weight and height stuff, athletic people kind of get the short end of the stick. I could have an evil identical twin out there (my friends Hannah and Noah and I are beginning to think so) who weighs the same and is the same height. But I am, to the human eye, in better shape simply because my evil twin never works out and/or eats too much. Also, it is said by those smart people that say things that a woman may have the same BMI as a man but actually have a higher percentage of body fat. Why? I don’t know.

So you can calculate your BMI if you want to. But it’s really not all it’s ed up to be.

And I apologize for the really long and tiring entry. Once again, if you have any questions, ask and they will be answered. Even if it takes me five hours of research. Which will be fine, because I like research. But don’t ask me more than 20 questions per person just because you think it will make a nice First Day of Spring present for me. Because that’s nice, but with all the other stuff I have to do right now, I really don’t need it. :)

Later gators!
~Jessica

For my Loyal Fans

2007-03-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

Well! I had no idea I was so popular.

Anyway, my loyal fans have been on their knees simply BEGGING and throwing themselves at my mercy. Why? Well, because they want me to blog more. I've taken quite a long no-writing break and I think that it is high time I got back. Or they think. Maybe my friends are subconsciously influencing my decision-making process. They are slowly taking over my mind. Soon I won't be me anymore. I will be them. Scary.

Sometimes I feel a little dorky because I have a fitness blog and not a blog-blog like everyone else. I am jealous. I have sort of sworn to get another one to write in at the same time. But I hardly have time to write on this one. So I just don't think I should start A Jessica Blog About Jessica Only (which is what I'd call it if I had one). I can express myself here enough whilst providing the general public (or at least Elizabeth, Michelle and Elayna) with interesting fitness-related information.

So last-last Monday, Elizabeth had spring break from her College-ing and so she, Michelle and I decided to run around the park while Marck and Sam were at Flag Football Practice. Elizabeth was very inspirational. I was lazy. Michelle was in the middle. Elizabeth kept quoting Romans or 1 Peter or something. I can't remember. If Elizabeth could remind me, I'd appreciate it because I would like to quote what she was then on here. And if it's 1& 2 Peter, you guys should know those are my favorite books of the Bible.

Well, that was conclusive. Blah.

Don't worry, folks. My next entry will be much more informative. In the future I think that I will attempt to write more informative things. But I also will take more time to talk about my life, so I can keep up with all the blog hype. This has been one of the latter types of blogs.

One more thing before I go. I think there are a couple more things I want to do…um…life and Personal Training-wise. First of all I want to get my PT Certification, then I'll get a Massage Therapy Certification (a very useful one for PTs to have), then I want to get a group fitness certification, then I want to study lots of cool stuff at the Glasgow School of Art. I need to look into all of that more, but I'm pretty sure that's what I want to do. It would be like my four years of college. Except cooler. Especially the part where I get to go to Scotland. In the meantime I will work on my Novel with No Name. I want to take my time with that book and get all the back stories and conflicts and stuff ADAP (as detailed as possible). So I will finish it. And then I want to send it somewhere and get it published. And then I'll write another book. But it will be completely different. Like me and my clothes. I don't want what I wear to be classified as a certain style, and I don't want what I write to be classified in a certain genre.

But since this isn't a fiction-writing blog, I'll stop for now before I disclose the entire plot to everyone and bore them half to .

Until next time, adieu!

~Jessica

Fitness Journals

2007-02-19T15:10:00.000-08:00

I ran a mile this morning as planned. I got 9:08 as my time! You know, 11 calories a minute really isn't that many, if I'm only running for nearly 9. In swimming you burn somewhere around 12.5 calories a minute I think. But I swim for 90 minutes…so that means I burn 1125 calories (relatively speaking). I guess I'm not really running to burn calories so much as I'm running to keep my endurance up (and possibly get it up higher). And certainly not because I love running. I wish I liked it as much as swimming. But I don't. Oh well. I've tried.

And that doesn't mean I'm going to stop running.

You know how at the end of the year there's always this big fitness marketing thing going on? STICK TO YOUR NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS—LOOSE WEIGHT AND KEEP IT OFF!! That and other crazy phrases are all over the place. I guess they die down around the end of January or so.

Anyway, about a month ago I was at Barnes and Noble at Triangle Town Center (I like that mall—it's huge!!) and I thought that, though I don't want to loose weight, they might have some sort of book that would interest me. So I browsed around, thinking of looking for something along the lines of a fitness-journal-thing that personal trainers sometimes use for either themselves and/or their clients.

What I found was basically exactly what I was looking for. When I say basically, I mean that it had everything I wanted in it. It had a place to write down what I ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner (as well as goodies, snacks and "booze" [under that column I just put what coffee I had]). It also had an area to write down what weight exercises I did for my upper and lower body, as well as cardio. There are boxes to check depending on how well I think I did overall, there are places to write down how my night was and my morning mood and plans for the next day. There is also a place at the beginning of every week to write down my overall plan and my weight and any ideas for the week ahead.

The un-basically part was that the book is called the Younger Next Year Journal. In smaller print it says, "Turn back your biological clock." In short, that means that it's for old people! Well, I don't care. It was the best one of its kind there. I bought it, and I try to remember to fill it out every day. It touches on a few things to do with "heart rate" which I tend to ignore. I don't have heart problems and don't own a heart rate monitor. Maybe when I do, I will, and then I'll actually be a real old person and the book will apply to me.

Anyway, I have rather enjoyed looking back over just the past month and watching myself get stronger and my eating patterns get better, among other things. However, one day I am rather ashamed of is February 4th, 2007 (or as it is sometimes known, Super Bowl Sunday). If you're like me, you would probably enjoy having a book like this around. It was just about $12, which is a good buy (for me). The dates are fill-in-the-blank, so if you buy it now you don't have to skip from January to the current date. You can just start at the beginning of the book.

Well, I guess I need to get on with my day. Talk to ya later!
~Jessica

Running & New Shoes

2007-02-18T15:09:00.000-08:00

Hello all! That is, all of you. Y'all. All Y'all. You'ins. You guyzes.

ANYHOO, guess what? I actually ran twice in one week! I amaze even myself from time to time. I ran one mile Monday morning and timed myself. It was 10 minutes. Tuesday I didn't run but I went to the store and bought new running shoes, Nike somethings. They had the second highest arch supports in the store (that were reasonably priced) (the first highest was their twins without laces) and I made them even higher by putting in the free supports I found in the box under the inserts. So now they fit perfectly.

If you didn't already notice, I have REALLY high arches, Empire State Building high.

So, Wednesday I had to go somewhere in the morning but Thursday I ran again, this time clocking in at 9 minutes and 24 seconds. Maybe it was my feeling more confident, the air being colder and my wanting to get back inside ASAP, the new shoes, or maybe I am just a talented runner disguised as someone who actually despises running and quits all "programs" she ever started before! Or maybe it's a combination of most of those.

Anyway, since I'm not swimming for a few weeks, I thought I should try to make up with lots of cross-training. For me, that would mean getting in at least three days of cardio and three days of strength training. So, here's what my exercise schedule for this coming week looks like:

MONDAY
Run 1 mile
Various arm exercises with 8, 5 and 3 pound dumbbells
Abdominal exercises

TUESDAY
Jump Rope (more on my "routine" in a later blog)

WEDNESDAY
Yoga (I usually feel like I need to stretch out on Wednesdays)
Abdominal exercises

THURSDAY
Same as Monday

FRIDAY
Various arm exercises with 8, 5 and 3 pound dumbbells
Abdominal exercises
Try to convince mother to take my siblings and me bowling, which believe it or not is good arm exercise

Well, there you have it. I think one advantage to trying to get my mile time down even further is that it takes less time so that I have more time to do other things. Yes, like taking a longer shower afterwards. You people know me too well.

Anyway, talk to ya later!

~Jessica

El Listo

2007-02-06T13:28:00.000-08:00

Look at me! Yesterday it had been practically two months since I last wrote. Today it was yesterday.

I am taking a class that my dad is teaching. It's called Entrepreneur 101 and for it we have to come up with a business plan (a real one) that we will work on forever and ever until we start the business, which could be tomorrow, in a couple months, a year, or 5 years like mine. 10 years maximum.

You probably are wondering what my little list thing looks like. So, since I am sick of typing and staring at the computer screen (nah—I don't get tired of that…I'm just lazy), I'm going to post my little list here. Mind you, it's crude, unfinished, uneducated and probably hard to read at some points. So feedback from some really nice smart people would be GREATLY APPRECIATED. Here goes:

The Plan
By Jessica Claire Barker

1. Continue with teen fitness blog and get more feedback (hint, hint)
2. Find out about good PT certification programs including where they are and the cost of everything
3. Communicate with other gym owners (both small business and franchise owners)
4. Communicate with managers of gyms (including reading that blog)
5. Search online to compare prices of franchise and independently owned gyms, as well as start-up costs for a gym if I were to start my own
6. Possibly get a job at a gym as a receptionist, child care person or personal trainer assistant or apprentice or something like that
7. Make lots of money to finance my education by working at the gym and/or life guarding
8. Skip ahead a 1 ½ years when I'm 18 and done all possible research
9. Order and receive the PT program learning materials from the program I've chosen (not naming for legal reasons)
10. Complete them and then go to the far away workshop
11. Take the certification test
12. Get certified
13. Perchance continue education by also certifying myself as a group fitness trainer
14. During numbers 6 ½ through 12, maybe take classes at Wake Tech on a variety of things, like French and Journalism, but also Physiology and the like
15. Advertise in the paper to get a couple of in-home clients
16. Apply to start working out of a gym (PS: read up on that more)
17. Do in-home, in-gym and maybe group training
18. Probably get married sometime, which might have to get in the way of some working for a couple of months
19. Either stay with my business as it is, or get into a partnership with someone and start an independent gym where I would move my PT business
20. Write articles or a book or something in my spare time to generate eventual passive income
21. Maybe eventually have kids which would probably temporarily stop me from personal training, but that's where my gym and my writing will help
22. Live happily ever after, eventually getting back into PTing

The End.

Later!
~Jessica

Grease--ain't the stuff that I want

2007-02-05T09:36:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been half a million years since I last wrote. I really need to work on that whole "consistency" thing. It's not my strongest trait.

Anyway, a lot has gone on around here since I last wrote. For instance, I've been in 4 improvisation shows. I'm official now. I feel happy. In other news, the Super Bowl was yesterday, and THE COLTS WON!!! 29-17, if I can remember right…and to top it off, I HAD GREASY FOOD OVERLOAD!!!

I never was very in-touch with the fact that greasy food is really THAT bad for you until last night. We had chips, dip, fried catfish, hushpuppies, French fries, shrimp (boiled and fried), mini man burgers, and anything else that decided to sacrifice itself to my dad's deep fryer. Mid-meal I started to feel a bit sick to my stomach. I ate the rest of my food and managed not to throw up (because, you see, anything dipped in a ketchup/tar tar/cocktail sauce mix is dubbed, "irresistible" and wherefore must be eaten). But even this morning I feel like I need to go through a major detoxification.

P that S: If you are a really nice guy and you ask me out after drenching yourself in a ketchup/tar tar/cocktail sauce mix, that doesn't mean YOU are irresistible. I do not want to marry my food.

Anyhooness, in my very long sabbatical from my blog (not intentional, of course), I have been reading up on a number of things, including nutrition, personal training and how to write better. Unfortunately, today I have not come across anything that will specifically instruct me on how to get all this grease out of my system. However…

If you feel like me today (a heart attack waiting to happen), I would suggest fruit. Lots of it. And vegetables. I'm serious about this. Maybe it's just me being a bad-experience magnet. But now if I turn on a cooking show and they're making cheese burgers, I have to leave the room.

Well, that's enough complaining on my part. I will not deny that the food wasn't good. And the game went well, and I'm happy that Prince didn't electrocute himself, considering that would be too violent to be broadcast into every household in America. The FCC would probably sue CBS for $4,000,000,000,000. Then they'd have to get a really boring act for next year…and I was counting on the Chili Peppers or U2 (again) or something!!!

Anyway, I think I will go eat an orange, maybe an apple and perchance some grapes for lunch.

"Bye bye!" ~Prime Minister Excelcus aka Mr. Zarzar reading the script wrong :)

~Jessica

Hands-on chemistry

2006-12-05T17:08:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, Jessica was nearly engulfed by noxious fumes.

Another upon a time, she sat at her computer recalling this incident and listening to ZZ Top and Boston at the SAME TIME!!!

Well, swim practice was today, and it went well UNTIL we were doing some 50’s alternating back and breast. I felt some sort of tingling in my throat, like I had inhaled helium or something (Not that I do it on a regular basis). However, I didn’t really take it to mind. I just thought that I was winded, and wherefore drank more water.

But THEN we were doing a 500 free and that’s when the same helium-intake-type feeling came back into my throat. But this time it was much stronger, and it was causing me to cough every time I tried to hold my breath. I kept swimming, hoping that it would pass, but it only got worse every time I breathed. I was about to stop and drink some (more) water when I saw that Kara was also slowing down in front of me. She was coughing too! We both decided to stop for a moment to catch our breath(s?) before continuing. Behind me, Jared was coughing a little but continued on. I concluded that there was some strange killer disease spreading or that some toxic gas was floating around.

After a slight recovery, Kara and I swam another (slow) 100 and had to stop again. Coach came over and asked what the matter was, and we explained our identical symptoms. It turned out Kara’s throat had started feeling helium-ey around the breast/back set, too. Coach looked concerned and told us to only swim the rest if and when we felt like it, and then he went to go investigate the situation.

Well, 150 yards and a whole lot of coughing later (exhibited by everyone but Nathan, who now claims he’s immune to everything), Coach told every one to go ahead and get out; the chlorine level in the pool was too high. Not dangerously high, but high enough to make everyone start coughing after a little over an hour. Coach tested it and said it was a “5.0”, which would be fine, if it were an outdoor pool. But a safe level would have been “2.0” for an indoor pool. He contacted the main people who rent the pool and informed them. The President-guy said that the team that swims in the morning could only swim an hour because of the fumes (I think they usually swim two and a half hours or something).

Anyway, Coach didn’t say the chlorine level would be all the way down by tomorrow, but I sure hope it’s at least relatively so.

In other news, the hot water heater at the pool has died, resulting in -41 degrees Fahrenheit showers of which no one partook because they all went home in fear of hypothermia.

I’ve got to go now, but I’ll write later!

~Jessica

Working for the MCA--Majorly Cool Association

2006-12-04T15:26:00.000-08:00

Buenos nachos! Anyhooness, guess what?!?!?!

(*looks up to blank faces, an awkward silence and crickets chirping in the background*)

Well, no. Actually, I applied for a job. And this time it was NOT just for the money!

You see, there’s this new family-oriented gym that (for legal reasons) I will not name. Anyway, it’s a great place. My mom, dad and I went to Pizza Hut Wednesday night and then afterwards went to check out the place. It turned out they were having an open house, and this cool personal trainer named Anna gave us a tour. She was a lot like Jessica in 10 years, and gave the now-Jessica lots of advice and information on Personal Trainer-ing. It was…EMOSEWA, should I say? (It’s my friend Jeffrey who really says all his interjections backwards…I can’t take the credit, unfortunately).

So I asked for an application. She handed one to me and I, after looking it over, inquired as to what job positions were opened to little old me. That is, 16-year-old me. Anna wasn’t quite sure, so she went to find one of the guys in charge. His name was Rick, if I can remember right (nametags help, but I’m still horrible with names). Let’s just say he is a guy version of Jessica in 20 years. He said that I could work with the childcare or I could be a receptionist. He also said that they weren’t going to get a full staff for at least another 90 days, when the facility is complete. “If we don’t call for a while, that’s why.”

So after talking, he wrote us all passes to come back the next day for a free workout. “At least drop off your application,” he said. I really wanted to join that night, but neither my family nor I have sufficient funds at this point. If it were just me, I could probably afford it in January, but then…oh, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll join for myself and then get my mom some free passes. If all goes well, maybe he’ll hire me.

So the next day after swim practice, mom and I stopped by again for a free workout. I did half a mile on the elliptical, then worked out with various pieces of arm and abdominal equipment. That was pretty cool. But I’m weird like that.

However, Rick didn’t seem to think that. He and Anna are very likeable people. They consider my obsession with working out NORMAL. Imagine that! Anyway, just as I was finishing up, Rick came over and started talking to me. So I asked him some questions about where the best places are to get certified. He gave me some very useful information, as well as talked about the kind of people he liked to hire.

I find the environment very friendly and I really am considering joining in January. Although if I do, then I think I might rethink my schedule. Well, I kind of need to do that anyway for next year. Hey, if I do join, that means that, instead of getting up and exercising, I can get up and do my school work. I work a lot better in the mornings (after coffee, that is) and I think that I could be more time-efficient that way.

Well, we’re out of time for today folks. But remember, God made you special and he loves you very much. Bye!

~Jessica

PTS: Post Thanksgiving Syndrome

2006-11-28T16:36:00.000-08:00

I never make time for the things I don’t have time for. Blogging is one of those things. Right now I really should be doing Anatomy.

So, last Thursday was Thanksgiving. You know what? I’m an impossible case of atrocious eating. I had a large lunch Thursday, pigged out Thursday night on junk food, ate ANOTHER lunch Friday, went out to an Italian restaurant Saturday and had a barbeque on Sunday (all the while drinking copious amounts of Mountain Dew, as well as reading and watching TV to no end). And you would think that after all that I would completely turned off to anything but fruits, vegetables and faux crab meat.

Not so.

I started a "food journal" today. I've had breakfast, midmorning snack, lunch, after-swim practice snack, and an afternoon snack closely following the after-swim practice snack. And who knows what I'll eat for dinner.

I’ve been exercising obsessively (as well as going back to swim practice-finally), and slowly my body is reassuming its pre-Thanksgiving-break shape. Maybe by Saturday.

Oh, you all will be happy to know I have FINALLY devised a running program that WORKS. First of all, it’s jogging, not running. Secondly, I’m doing it for time, not distance. I’ll jog around my yard for 20 minutes at eight in the morning (on days I don’t swim). It’s short enough for me to stick through and long enough for me to feel slightly "miserable" afterwards. I went out and bought one of those new iPod Shuffles (note: it’s trademarked by iPod. Too bad about the product placement. I could make a lot of money if more people read this). Anyway, it’s nice because I can clip it to whatever I’m wearing and then jog to “Dead Man (Carry me)” by Jars of Clay all the time, since I am established as overly obsessed with that song now. But I have a longer playlist than that, trust me. The music distracts me enough (from the pain) and it allows me to get into a rhythm. Basically it’s my answer to jogging on a treadmill in front of the TV.

However, I think I would rather jog on a treadmill in front of the TV, because then I could avoid puzzled looks from my neighbors. Or at least avoid the knowledge that they are probably looking on in wonder and talking about how weird I am.

Anyway, that’s all I feel like saying now. I’ll keep updating you on some more exercises as well as my journey to look like a Jessica again, instead of a big fluffy cloud in future entries.

So long, my oiled fins!
~Jessica

These Dreams--and Workout part 3

2006-11-08T17:14:00.000-08:00

IT’S FUN TO SAY STUFF IN FRENCH ACCENTS!!! It’s even more fun to say things both in French and with a French accent.

In answer to Elayna's question, the second exercise in my last entry is to be done at a moderately slow pace. Something like, 2 seconds going up, and 2 seconds coming down. Maintain control and don't let your leg swing around wildly. Thanks for your comment! (p.s. about the 20 & 10 thing--I may be able to write the screenplay next month unless you really want to).

Well, last night I dreamed a very interesting ongoing dream. Firstly, it was “November Halloween” (the Halloween in November) and the State fair was back in town. And I was hanging out with this group of s that decided to get together for a sleepover in the Ferris wheel. So we did that, and then I went to the beach with some people I actually know.

At the beach, we (like, Jeffrey, Jeremy, Dean, Joanna, Allison and my mom and some other filler people) took turns reading the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy aloud, and we were about to go back and do The Hobbit when my mom declared that it was “quiet time” and we had to sit around and do stuff quietly. So, my mom went to bed. I decided to read the dictionary, Jeffrey did Sudoku, Dean was playing on the computer, Jeremy read the newspaper and Joanna and Allison communicated in ASL.

Then my alarm went off. Thuh-ehnd.

Well, that’s off my chest. Now on to more important stuff.

Lie on your left side. Now, roll over on your side. Your left arm should be supporting your head, and your other hand should be placed on the floor in front of your bellybutton to support you. Are your legs on top of each other? Good! Point your toe and lift up your right leg. Not very high up, maybe about 8-10 inches away from your left leg. You should be lifting with your outer thigh. Hold for a second or two, then lower down. Do this for 25 reps if you’re a beginner and 50 if you’re advanced. Roll over onto your right, assume the same position and do it again with your left leg. Remember to also concentrate on balance and coordination.

For our next exercise, roll back over onto your left. You can keep your hands in the same position mentioned in the above paragraph. Bend your right leg and place your foot on the floor directly behind your left leg. Flex your left foot. This is a small movement targeting the inner thighs. Lifting from the heel, bring your left leg up off the ground about 6-8 inches, and slowly bring it back down again. Again, beginners do 25, advanced 50. Remember to repeat on your right side.

At last, it is time for our third and final teen fitness exercise of the day. Roll on to your left side AGAIN. Now bend your knees so that they are a 90 degree angle, and bring your hips up towards your torso at a 90 degrees. Basically you should look like you are sitting in a chair laid on it's side on the ground. You will be lifting with your knee, targeting the buttocks. Lift your left leg 6-8 inches up from your right leg and then lower down slowly. Keep your ankle and knee parallel with each other. Make sure you’re in control the whole time. Don’t let anything fly up or drop down. As usual, I recommend 25 for beginners and 50 for advanced.

And also as usual, I urge you to PLEASE leave a comment if the exercise descriptions are unclear. I apologize for not having pictures but it’s not my fault. No need to get all angry at me or anything.

Well, so long and thanks for all the fish!

~Jessica

My workout Part Two (but don't eat the floor)

2006-11-07T08:55:00.000-08:00

Before we continue on with today’s portion of the daily workout thingy, I will proceed to describe a dream I had to you last night:

Okay, well, I actually don’t remember any dreams that I had last night. All I remember was coming back from some awards banquet for my brothers, watching football, thinking about brownies, watching more TV and then getting knocked out the moment my head hit the pillow. Next I knew it, it was 6 am and my alarm decided to go off. I guess that means I slept well, despite the Dr. Pepper I had at the banquet.

Well, WHAT a dream.

Oh, yeah. Never mind. That really happened.

Anyway, on to our teen fitness full-body workout part two! Today we will work our back and our buttocks.

Now, lie on your stomach. This means you’re looking at the floor and your back is up. Do not taste the floor. You don’t know where it’s been. Stretch your legs and arms out, so that you are like a long rug on the floor. Okay, lift up your right arm and your left leg. Make sure that at least your chest is off the floor and most of your thigh is, too. Now, hold for 20 seconds. Switch afterwards, holding your left arm and right leg up for 20 seconds. Rest. Lastly, lift both arms and both legs simultaneously, and if you can, hold for 40 seconds. Make sure to really engage and contract both your upper and lower back. Rest again. You’re done with that!

The second and last exercise I will describe to you today is done on your hands and knees. Square your hips and your shoulders, and now lift your leg up, still bent, so that your thigh is level with your back, and then slowly lower it back down. You leg doesn’t touch the floor, just stays hovering about an inch above it. Really squeeze your buttocks as you come up, and control it as it comes down, don’t let momentum carry it. Beginners do 15-20 each side, intermediate can do 20-35 each side, and advanced can do 32-50 each side.

As I said before, please feel free to comment if the descriptions of these exercises aren’t clear. I’ll try and clear them up as best as I can.

Thank you all for your attention!

Till next time,

Jessica

My workout (with a little help from Nirvana)

2006-11-06T08:01:00.000-08:00

Well, I’ve done it. I’ve devised what is basically a full-body workout. However, considering that I don’t want to take all of one day to write it and you probably don’t want to take all day reading it, I will recall it to you day-to-day this week.

Now, allow me to warn you that these are the movements and repetitions that work for me. Depending on your fitness level, you may want to begin with more or less than what I do myself. Basically what I am saying is that I have no idea what my actually fitness level is on a scale of 1-10. All I do know is that these work for me. I feel the burn and see results, to put it in a blunt cliché-ish form.

I will attempt to describe these as visually as possible. I do not know how to put pictures on an actual entry, and I think if I did then it would take forever to because there are so many movements. If the descriptions are unclear, please feel free to leave a comment telling me so, and I will attempt to revise what I’ve written either here or in my next entry.

I suggest listening to music while exercising. It helps the time go by faster and keeps a rhythm going. I had a dream last night where I was locked in my room listening to a Nirvana-athon on the radio. This has resulted in my having Nirvana songs in my head all day, along with the Weird Al parody. They all basically have the same rhythm (*cough*) so I can use them to my advantage and work out to them. But considering that Nirvana isn’t the top-choice among a lot of people, you can listen to anything: Wham, Madonna, the Who, the Chili Peppers, Larry the Cucumber, Metalica, M&M (I like to spell his name that way)…you know, whatever suits you.

I always begin with abs. I don’t know why, but I do. I lie on my back with my feet on the floor and my knees at 45 degrees (fitness is good for Geometry application) and do 100 standard crunches. Then I tilt my knees slightly over to my right and crunch up, making sure to get both shoulders off the ground. This works the sides of the waistline. I do 50 of these on one side and then 50 on the other. Back to the center. Pick your feet off the ground and move your still-bent legs to 90 degrees. Now, lift your hips up and down. This is only a small movement but is very effective for the lower abs. I do 100.

Note—For beginners I suggest cutting the reps at least in half. That’s 50 of the regular crunches, 50 of the reverse crunches and 25 to each side for the sides. You may also want to take a 15-second break after each set of five or ten.

Well, there you have it. Part one of your daily workout. I hope it works for you as well as it works for me, and I’ll write again tomorrow!

Love and Peace or Else,

~Jessica

Sleepytime mottos

2006-11-04T12:35:00.000-08:00

Usually when I say, “It’s vital to my health and well-being”, I’m talking about some sort of play I want to be in, or something sweet.

But this time, I’m talking about sleep.

Oh…woe is me! The night before last I didn’t sleep well because of all the caffeine I had beforehand. But last night, I didn’t technically have anything of that sort. I went out with Amy and Katherine, and we stopped by their favorite coffee shop (that one with the elk-thing as its logo) and I got some decaf minty-something. It was good. Then we went to Wal-mart and I got hyper because we were shopping. I bought a hoodie, a keychain and some mints.

I got home about 11:15. I went to bed about 12:15. Then I woke up after what felt like the longest time. I looked over at the clock and it said 12:45.

What is it with me??

I tossed and turned the rest of the night, having some strange dream where there was a law that everybody had to dress as either a sledgehammer, anvil, or something else potentially dangerous for Halloween.

So, I’m wondering if it’s the sugar, or just my cold that haunts me. I don’t really have a cold at all, except (apparently) when I lay down to sleep. How convenient.

I don’t know. I’ll get back to you on that.

Now, the hoodie I got says, “Strength, Spirit, Sport.” I like that a lot. It’s a new motto of mine.

You: “Not another motto!!!”

Oh, you be quiet. I love strength. It makes me feel powerful (thank you, Capt. Obvious). Just the sound of it makes me think about muscles. But there’s also mental strength, which is really more of the spirit part. Both of these build up to the sport part. It’s kind of like in 2nd Peter where God is telling us things to add to our faith (if you’re lost, just play along). They are virtues that produce a fruitful Christian life. Strength and spirit produce a “fruitful” sport. In other words, you’ll prosper.

Anyway, I’ve got to head over to my grandma’s and eat pizza. So long!

~Jessica

Glimpse of the other side

2006-11-03T09:31:00.000-08:00

Isn’t it great to have peeps that keep you in line?

Last night, my improv buddies were quick to point out that I was a little…grumpy that evening. I was asked if I had had a bad day. Reflexively I said “no”, which was true. It had been more like two and a half bad days. I didn’t really notice that I was being grumpy, but I’m sure glad they did.

I want to say I’m really sorry. Every little thing has gotten on my last nerve, and I've been a little snippy at just about everyone. One after another things have seemed to topple out of place. The show on Tuesday night got cancelled, the Christmas play got cancelled, my relationship with my dad is a little rocky, I’m somewhere on the brink of some kind of cold, and I’m incredibly tired. So much so that I didn’t swim earlier Thursday. I’m not blaming any of these situations. And swimming shouldn’t be my only anger outlet.

Last night, having had a Starbucks Frappuccino, Dr. Pepper and a Dum-dum at the same time, I was on a little sugar high and…oh, I don’t know. No excuses.

Maybe it’s good that we might be taking a break from improv. Maybe God’s saying we all need some “straighten up” time. I’m pointing the finger at myself, here, not at anyone else.

All of that to say, I really appreciate Jeremy and Dean
(and whoever else was there) pointing my attitude out to me.

Since this is a fitness blog (well, it's supposed to be, anyway) I will proceed to say something insightful about fitness. *ahem*

Four score and seven minutes ago Bill and Ted…um, wait.

My lower back hurts. I think it was all those backbends I was doing yesterday.

Thank you for tuning in. I shall now go eat some clam chowder.

~Jessica

Depression Mode

2006-11-01T09:39:00.000-08:00

Geez.

I’m in a depression mode all of a sudden. I’ve hardly gotten any school work done this week (which means I have to catch up on Friday—ugh), and the only sorts of anything I’ve felt like doing are exercising (nothing new, of course), playing the guitar, doing my Bible studies and drawing.

In about 6 minutes I have to head out the door for swim practice. I don’t know what to do with myself.

You probably don’t want to hear all about how I got this way, so I’ll simply assure you it’s NOBODY’s fault that everything fell out of place this week. It just is, and I just have to keep praying and reassuring myself it will all work out.

In the mean time, I’ll work out. I’ll just go take all my anger out in the water. Yeah. That always works.

This is the last week of my extended “tan”. Officially. The bubble goes up this Saturday. I will then proceed to fade back to the ghostly white skin I was born with. Ya-hoo.

Because I’m white and nerdy!

Har har har, ya gawt thayat right thar, yo.

EXCUSE ME!!! Grammar malfunction there.

Well, it’s 12:30 and I kinda sorta really need to get going. We’re doing hundreds today (yay…I think…).

So long and thanks for all the fish,

~Jessica

"Caffeine"--Eric Clapton's New Hit

2006-10-27T14:23:00.000-07:00

It’s such a gloomy day outside. I haven’t felt like doing anything.

I did, however, manage to get up this morning and stay up. Usually on Friday mornings I’m so tired from the rest of the week that I get up, drink coffee, watch Mythbusters and then go back to bed, too exhausted to do any sort of yoga.

But this morning, I actually got past the coffee and TV part. I did some yoga, did Bible Study and ate breakfast. THEN I went back to bed.

My mom woke me back up about 30 minutes later, complaining about me sleeping instead of doing my school. I’m not sure why she had a problem with that.

Sleep is very important. My motto (okay, one of my abundant mottos) is, “Sleep at every waking moment.”

Wait a minute.

Well, I’m sure I got the point across. I also have another motto. It is, “Drink caffeine as much as possible.”

For those of you that know me too well, that motto is the reason.

My dream day is when I would wake up, go to Starbucks, get a Vanilla Mocha Latte (iced if it’s warm outside and scorching hot it it’s cold) and go to a REALLY long yoga class. Then I would go BACK to Starbucks, get more coffee, go home, and do school (I don’t know about you, but I LIKE school, thank you very much). While doing school I am reminded not to over-use exclamation marks and to not write run-on sentences.

After school I would grab a couple Mountain Dews for lunch and then head over to swim practice. There we’d do 20 100’s, 10 IMs and 10 free alternating and then play water polo or something. Anyway, after that I would go to an all-night improv practice, all the while drinking a six-pack of Vault.

However, since I am SUPPOSED to be a healthy person, it is my place to say that you shouldn’t have 10 caffeinated drinks a day. And, unfortunately, “sugar crash” is not a valid reason, nor is “people will look at you in a weird way”.

Anyway, I really need to go drink something caffeinated. I’m becoming a zombie. Just in time for Halloween. Yay!

~Jessica

Packs and Lenny Krayzelburg

2006-10-26T17:21:00.000-07:00

Hooooo-boy, I’m tired. And I have to go do it all again tomorrow.

Yes, it was 55 degrees today again. It felt colder. I used it to my advantage, though. We had hard sets (well, harder than usual, anyway) and since I didn’t get too hot, they were easier. There was no humidity in the air (duh) so I could breath fine (except when I got out of breath).

But I’m sleepy. *snore**snore**snore* I’M AWAKE!!! I have a poster of Lenny Krayzelburg now. Cool.

So, we did 12 50’s on the :50. Fun. I like the new Weird Al CD. It’s totally emosewa. I have a two-pack if I flex really hard. It would be really cool if, in a few months, I got a four-pack. Or a six-pack. Or a 12-can box of Mountain Dew. Or I joined a wolf pack. Or played on the Wolfpack. Or maybe I should just get out more.

I am writing a new song. I would post the lyrics on here except a) Why would YOU like to know them? b) Legal reasons (dude, I could sell it or sing it or something) c) It’s not done yet d) I don’t think I would anyway.

Those are very good reasons. Adieu.

~Jessica

Soccer, Swimming and Doughnuts

2006-10-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I was reading on Spice Line that there is a Soccer Club for highschool s. You know, a kind of place that’s no-pressure, where you (actually) learn skills and stuff for soccer. This would be good for me especially since I used to play soccer a lot with my neighbors. I don’t suppose I was that good, but I enjoyed it and would like to try it out again.

However, I have *cough* checked my schedule and, while I am free on the day it’s on, I already have 7,000 other activities every week (as mentioned before) and I am quite certain that my parents would either die of exhaustion or just get really mad at me for…well, several reasons.

So, I was thinking. Maybe I could stop swimming on Wednesday or something and then I could do soccer on Fridays. I wouldn’t feel as guilty about stopping one day of swimming if I were doing something else athletic. It’s technically cross-training. I get to run and…well, stuff. Maybe I should go buy some new shoes first. I need some anyway.

Buuurrrr. I can’t believe we had to swim today. It was 55 degrees (Fahrenheit, unfortunately) outside and Coach promised us that if we didn’t complain about the water being cold, then he would let us (Silver) out 15 minutes early. We didn’t, and he did. So it’s all good. I just feel really sorry for anybody who swam this morning. It was forty-something, I think. I would die of hypothermia.

Well, I’m absolutely starving. I ate cereal for breakfast (yes, I have a strange obsession with talking about what I eat), then some pretzels after swim practice, then half a bell pepper while doing my science. It’s dinner time but the casserole isn’t quite ready, so I must wait.

I feel very un-fat right now. As a matter-of-fact, I feel like I need to eat about 17 doughnuts right now. So I’ll go get a bag of Sweet 16, then go to Krispy Kreame and get another one (glazed with sprinkles) and then I will have approximately 17. But the Sweet 16 don't count as 16, because they’re little. So I’ll go BACK to the store and buy another bag. Then I will sit down, eat them all and become very sick. When I am well again I will probably ask for a cookie. If you give me a cookie, I will probably ask for some milk. If you give me some milk…

Um, never mind.

Well, I’m going to go pace around the kitchen as my body mass deteriorates. Bye!

~Jessica

Let Happen What May

2006-10-24T17:19:00.000-07:00

My friend Kara and I were talking after practice today about the Seahawks vs. RSA. Not in a meet (Please no; they wouldn’t race us anyway. And if we forced them to we’d be squashed like pumpkins). You see, I had been considering joining their team for my senior year. Now I’m not sure about it.

Mostly because, as Kara pointed out, they are more Olympics-type-oriented, while what Kara and I want is just something to challenge us. I, personally, love swimming. Kara does too. And we were just thinking that devoting, in a sense, our entire lives to it might take all the fun out of it.

Today was a challenging day for a Jessica. Well, this Jessica anyway. There’s plenty of Jessicas that would have scoffed at my tiredness, but WHATever. Kara said that for the past year and a half, Coach Finneran has been challenging the Silver team more and more, to set them apart from the Blue team (not in a bad way). I love it, but at the moment I am very tired.

I’ve realized that, when you get into a sport, particularly a racing sport (swimming, biking, running, skiing, unicycling, pogosticking, point-shoe-tip-toe-walking [to name a few popular ones]) you have to let go. Don’t let anything hold you back. You can’t really set specific goals for yourself. Just do your best. As a matter-of-fact, do better that your notion of what is your best. The only way to get better is to do better. To just do what you THINK you can do is holding you back.

Let happen what will. In any of the above racing sports, it doesn’t matter what YOU want. It matters what happens. It’s up to you to make sure that those happenings are remarkable (yes, even the slightest achievement is considered remarkable. Never question that). Go beyond what is typical of you. Whether it's age, newness to the sport, "failure" or something you’ve already accomplished, don’t let it hold you back. You may find that you are incredibly talented at whatever it is you’re doing. If you are, don’t let opponents who are even better limit you or discourage you. If you believe you’re only mediocre, it doesn’t matter. But don’t ever believe you’re mediocre, because if you’re doing whatever you are doing to begin with then of course you’re not. Don’t let any negative thoughts stop you from working hard. If you love it, it doesn’t matter if exceptional at it or “not”.

Stretch beyond what seems possible. Love what you do. Don’t despair…why do that when there are so many joys to have in your sport?

~Jessica

PS Pointshoetiptoewalking was one of my best sports…but then I sprained my ankle. Ice your ankle thoroughly and put it above your heart as much as you can for 48 hours at least. Never ice longer than 20 minutes at a time. Please consult your ankle and other humans before continuing in your sport(s). You do not want to damage it again (do what I say, not what I do…)

Swimming Scholarship...? Nah...

2006-10-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry. Sorry for not writing in a very long time, anyway.

I’m an extremely stubborn person. If I don’t like it, it really doesn’t get done unless somebody threatens me. Fortunately, I’ve become more optimistic and as a result I like more things.

One thing I still don’t like, however, is listening to my father rant and rave about how I can be better at…well, whatever he finds that I should be better at. I mean, I know that I need to improve on a lot of things. I also understand that he’s older and more experienced in everything. But I want to do my own thing. I know my weaknesses and I want to figure out how to overcome them myself. I don’t want a third party to help me out.

Wouldn’t you like to be a Pepper too??

There are several things I, myself, would like to improve on. I would like to be more time efficient, for one. Being a very hyper person naturally, I love staying busy. But lately I’ve become much more busy than usual. I swim 3 days a week, I babysit, I do bookkeeping for my dad, I have Bible study and improv and, most of all, school. I’ve found that practically every spare moment has to be devoted to some sort of school. Right now I should be reading about Kidneys (yay). But instead I’m sitting here listening to Pink Floyd writing about how I SHOULD be more time efficient.

Well, good luck with that.

So, my dad’s latest crazy idea is that I should get a swimming scholarship.

Smells like Nirvana to me. He’s on a plane and he can’t complain. Whoohoo.

Okay, enough randomness (for the moment, anyhow).

So…gosh, the Nirvana guy is really selfish…FINE!!!! Anyway…swimming scholarship. Uh…well, that rules out Georgia Tech. Not that I wanted to go there anyway (no offense, but the only thing I can think that is exceptional about Georgia is that it’s on the way to Disney World).

YAY!!! Aerosmith!!!! Every emo teenager should let go and rock out to Aerosmith sometime.

I suppose it is completely logical for me to get a swimming scholarship. After all, my motto is, “It’s not impossible, you just haven’t done it yet.”

CALL ME THE BREEZE!!!

Oh, alright, I admit it. This isn’t a blog entry, this is a radio commentary. Now, back to the commercial.

So what if I started swimming on a team only last December? I’ve been told I have potential. I don’t know about you, but I really would like to loose 3 seconds off my 50 by at least the end of next summer. Even though I still won’t be exceptional, but I know I am perfectly capable of it. I may die in the process, but WHATEVER!!!

Remind me that I said that in about a year.

Anyway, I need to go do homework (aka extra school).

~Jessica

Fitness--five minutes in your bed (estimated time)

2006-10-04T17:40:00.000-07:00

I was thinking the other day, what if I answer Elizabeth's question about bed workouts sometime soon? Well, I thought about it for a moment. You see, most of any bed workouts I do are done in MY bed. It recently occurred to me that Elizabeth sleeps in a bunk bed, where leg circles are rather difficult.

What is recommended is yoga and pilates. Depending on the height and length of the bed, there are several things you can do. Lay on your stomach. Extend your arms and legs out. If you have a bad neck like I do, you might want to keep your legs extended but put your hands beneath your chin. Now, lift both your legs and your chest up simultaneously, hold for 3 seconds, then come back down. Do this for 2-3 sets of 8 reps each (or whatever you feel comfortable with). These are called "Superman". They work the back and buttocks, part of your core.

There is also the basic crunch. You can bend your knees or straighten your legs, the latter working the lower part of your abs more as well as your upper. 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps is suitable. Remember to inhale when you're down and exhale as you come up, contracting your abs. Let your abs do all the work. Don't lead with your chin.

Push-ups are good for your chest and your arms. 2-3 sets of 10 reps each is recommended.

Lastly, your legs. It's more difficult to find bed workouts for legs because, well, you're laying down. So, roll over on your side. You can do several things while propping yourself up on your elbow. Point your toe and lift your leg up and down about 20 times. Don't rush. Repeat on the other side.

Try this and report back. Tell me if it works, how it works if it does, or if it stinks. Also, I wouldn't recommend doing it at night, because you'll most likely get some sort of second wind and you will have trouble getting to sleep. Good luck!

~Jessica

The Stinky Plastic Box (not the gym, just another leisure blog)

2006-10-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

There are so many things I have continually told myself I would never do again. But where does that get me? y nowhere, I tell you! It is quite pointless telling oneself that one is never ever ever ever ever ever ever going to use a port-a-potty EVER again.

Yes, folks. It had been YEARS! Many years full of many strategies of holding it in. From the classic crossing of the legs to reading a book to various upside-down yoga positions, I WAS NOT going to go in a port-a-potty. They are the #1 grossest places on the planet. I spend hours wondering over whether Adrian Monk would die or not, were he to ever find himself at least within 100 feet of one.

But yesterday, well, that was a different story.

Yesterday, SOMEbody was dragged along to her brothers’ football games. The games are held at a very popular park where real bathrooms would be welcome by ready tax-payers and open-armed locals. But instead, the poor citizens must endure the trauma of the port-a-potties the park is doomed with.

Toilet paper askew. Greasy finger prints at every turn. The stuffy stench confined to the plastic box I am expected to pee in. The soap is all gone. It provokes claustrophobia to the highest degree known to mankind. Even the not-so-squeamish scream when they see one. I meant to tell you before this paragraph began that if you were eating something while reading this, that you should either eat later or read later. Please do not barf on the keyboard as this will only make it worse. You would have to go buy another one and then sue me because of it. And that wouldn’t be nice because I’m not here to be sued. Consider THAT before making another move, mister!!

Basically, I was forced to tinkle twice in the terrible tower of toilet trouble. I would have thought of better “t” words if I weren’t so cautious about what I say.

Until next time, I bid thee adieu. Please, for the sake of Jessica, avoid port-a-potties at all cost. And if you ever must go in one, remember this entry. You’re not the only one who s them.

~Jessica

Exercise Maniac

2006-10-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

After my unhealthy Saturday, I forced myself to get up earlier than usual on Sunday morning so that I could get an abs workout in before having to get ready for church.

I was planning on doing the bare minimum. Just two abs sections of “Gilad’s Total Body Sculpt”, then I would go eat. But after my little fling, I wanted more. So, because I had extra time and because I felt like it, I turned on “Core Max 1” and did it.

On a normal day, I don’t really want to get faster or stronger or skinnier. Today I did but that’s not the point. I just do whatever exercise because I love it. I want to show everyone (that ends up reading this) how to love fitness. I mean, I love working out, I love training and eating right and I love the psychology of it all.

Now I’m starting to freak myself out. I’m starting to sound like a perfect exercise maniac…HELP!!! Well, I guess I just want to present the bare facts to you. And the only way to do that is to…well, you know.

But I just wanted to say that love really is the center of all things. Love what you do, and everything else will fall into place after that.

~Jessica

Name Pronunciation Complaints Line (leisure blogging)

2006-10-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by and other name would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called.”

Translation for all the Shakespeare-deficient:

“Your name sucks. Get a new one.”

Apparently the name Jessica is both over-used and confusing.

I am constantly introducing myself to people, only to hear them reply, “Oh, I have/had a friend/cousin/girlfriend/mom/grandma/aunt/great aunt/sister named Jessica.”

WHAT a coincidence!!! Way to make me feel special. Sometimes the above remark is even followed by, “Isn’t that nice? I’ll definitely be able to remember your name.” Yes, wonderful.

My mother, may she rest in peace once she dies in about 55 years (or more *crosses fingers*), thought Jessica was a unique name, wherefore naming me said name I am now referred to as. I looked up my name online and I believe in 1990, Jessica was the third most popular baby name.

So, there’s the over-used part. As you may or may not recall, depending on how well your brain works (if you’re one of those cousin-named-Jessica-I’ll-remember-you people mentioned previously then obviously you do NOT recall what I am about to refresh you on) I pointed out that Jessica is a very confusing name.

I was so confused with my own name when I was smaller, I referred to myself as “Ed-i-ca”. My brother Marck, when he was born, called me “ca-ca”, our next-door neighbor Trey, when he was younger, called me “si-ca” and my youngest brother Robert called me “ga-gi-ga”.

However, Robert and I were more on track than some people these days. No, I don’t mean those who call me “Jessi” or “Jess”, because those I really don’t mind. They’re pet names and provoke pet-like qualities including loyalty and cuteness. Side affects may include following around like a puppy and amnesia.

The most common mispronunciation of my name is “Jess-kuh.” Grown men and women are apparently so consumed with their jobs that they seemingly have no time to include the second syllable in my three-syllable name.

“Now I’ll have more time to play LEGOs! Yay!”

“But I don’t know how to play LEGO.”

“But you don’t have to…it’s that simple.”

Alright, well…enough of that. Goodnight everyone.

~Jessica

YUCK! It's good for me...?

2006-09-30T18:17:00.000-07:00

This morning I ate Co-coa puffs for breakfast, a peanut butter sandwich for lunch, I had a bottle of ginger ale, then later a Iced Mocha Latte, and two hot dogs for dinner. Boy do I feel like I need a salad. Maybe I’ll eat one for breakfast tomorrow.

Eating healthy has lately become something more than just a “have to”. I really want to eat healthy, and for so many reasons. You see, I enjoy a quick digestion. Vegetables pass through the system faster than fatty foods. When I eat them I feel like they go straight through, distributing the proper nutrients to my body and pushing the rest down on through and, well, out the other end. When I eat something like, say, a hot dog or a BBQ sandwich, I feel like it takes a long time to get through, finally taking a rest in a little heap below my belly button.

Fruit especially always gives me a natural source of energy. I find that workouts or practices go better when I have eaten an orange or two before hand. Also a salad decked with bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, celery and cucumbers topped with one’s preference of dressing fills you up with many flavors, textures and, well, veggies. It stays in your system long enough to sustain energy but doesn’t gather in your lower abdomen for a “fatty party”.

Besides those two reasons, I have found that I simply enjoy organic food better than junk. It tastes richer, cleanses my system and makes me feel more powerful. It boosts my confidence, and simply makes me feel healthy and well.

So, eat your fruits and vegetables, kids. Ha. What I mean is, do it, if you want. You’ll feel better, perform better, be better and live healthier. Your body, your mom and your coach will thank you.

~Jessica

What is a Jessica? (leisure blogging)

2006-09-29T16:15:00.000-07:00

So, there’s this guy I really like. I’m not going to say his name because WHO KNOWS who may read this. I’m not going to say where he’s from either but ANYWAY…

Basically I don’t quite feel that soul mates thing, but I don’t quite feel the just here and now thing either. As a matter of fact…well, I don’t know. I just know I haven’t felt THIS strongly for a guy in a long while.

But you’re not here to read about that, are you?

You’re probably here wondering, “What is a Jessica?” Well, if you look it up in the dictionary, it will probably not be there. Look it up in the name book and you’ll see “God’s grace.” Look it up in the book of Jessicas and you will have to flip to “Barker, Jessica Claire.” There you will find the synonyms, “hyper” “klutzy” “stares off into space often” “highly caffeinated” “hippie-ish” “weird” “delusional” “can’t sit still” “creative” “overactive” “confused” “complains about being fat” “obsessed” “thinks too much for her own good” and “extremely bored half the time.”

Well, that much is basically true. At least, that is what friends and family have said. Which actually makes me consider…well, never mind. Anyhooness, tonight we’re gonna eat sushi and some soup-stuff that I can’t remember the name of, but it has seaweed and tofu in it. Basically, I’ve been eating healthy for a whole day now.

But I’m still fat!!!

Well, it might have to do with the fact that, despite my eating, I haven’t done any stomach-targeted exercises in two days. I swam yesterday and today I did yoga but I haven’t felt like doing anything else.

You know, it feels good to have a blog again. Maybe it just means I’m too insecure to go for very long without having a little place on the internet reserved for Jessica-nesses, or maybe I just love writing and sharing that plus lifeness with the world. Or both, perhaps.

Well, gotta go eat…so long and thanks for all the fish!

~Jessica

Ankles AWAY!!

2006-09-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

It was a dark and stormy night.

Actually, it wasn’t. I just like typing that.

It was a day like any other day. I had sat in deep thought about stuff, gone to swim practice, gotten stressed out in chemistry and, yes, sprained my ankle. Again.

That is the third time in the past two months, I think. I mean, I’ve always had weak ankles. They were always getting strained in ballet and gymnastics. One day when I was seven or eight I was running around my house with a friend and that was the first of many ankle sprains to come.

Today’s seemed worse than most, though.

I have just started my own little triathlon training. I’ve never competed in anything of the sort, but someday I would like to. So I had decided to mix my normal swim practices with a beginner’s running routine I read about in Fitness magazine, and biking once a week, each week adding a mile.

Then tragedy struck.

I was playing with my dog and her three squeaky stuffed animals. I was going to quickly get off of my hands and knees, dart around her, and grab the duck she wasn’t watching. But when I stepped with my left leg to get up, the ball of my foot rolled in and my heel was thrust forward.

In excruciating pain, I fell with it, rolling over and grabbing it. But what hurt more was my running. This would put a stop to it for at least two weeks. I wasn’t ever very good at running, but I loved it and wanted desperately to get better. But the state of my ankle put my dream out of reach for a third time since the end of July. I was devastated.

My mom had fixed me on the couch with my leg up and icepack tied around my swelling ankle. I was sitting there half bored to , half too depressed to do anything about it, my dad came in.

Naively I said to him, “I don’t care. If it feels any better tomorrow then I’m going running.”

“No you’re not. You’ll just injure it more and then it’ll never heal.” Dad replied sternly.

I huffed, quickly admitting defeat. I knew it was true.

“Just look at all the things you can still do.” Mom spoke up. “You can still swim, do pilates and do some light yoga.”

It wasn’t enough for me. I wanted more. But I didn’t say anything. I nodded and turned away. All I can do now is focus on my swimming. I will swim harder than ever. After all, the only way to get fast in meets is to be fast in practice. And, well, it usually starts with practice.

That night before bed, thoughts drifted back to my ankle again. But this time, they were of thanks. I was thankful that it wasn’t broken. Thankful it wasn’t any other part of my leg seriously injured. Thankful it wasn’t anything in my arm. That would have put an end to my swimming then and there.

I’m still trying to get over my sprain, both physically and mentally. And I know everyone faces this sometime in their life, with something. It may not be sports-related, but it is crushing, and nobody wants to live like that. So, put it out of your mind and think about all the good things that happen to you, or all the bad or worse things that didn’t happen to you. It may not ease the pain entirely, but it certainly changes your mindset, making it, at least, a little easier.

Some skydiver pro-person who was in the army once said: "It's not a disability, it's an ability. Work with what you've got."

~Jessica

Why I am Here--the Second Intro

2006-09-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

Keep in mind, this is a blog (soon-to-be website) for TEENS.

First of all, I did not specify a gender, only age. This means boys and s. Boys meaning you shouldn’t be turned off of a blog or site about fitness simply because it’s put out by a . I have lots of guy friends who take my advice and also will give me advice on how to advise guys, since we all know they build muscle differently, blah, blah, blah. I’m also mentioning guy friends because I can sic them on those guys that are clicking back to their own blogs because they are ists.

Second of all, I think that a lot of things apply to teens that don’t apply to s. We have different schedules, more sports opportunities and, believe it or not, more time. Also we are a clan of greater strength, speed and flexibility potential than older people. Meaning if you and your dad/mom decide to start a yoga class together, chances are you’ll be better at it.

Thirdly I have noticed that there aren’t many fitness magazines that market to teenagers. If we want anything on that sort, guys read “Men’s Journal” or something, and s read “Fitness”. These are fine magazines, but they don’t really have teen-targeted…um…anything. Post-pregnancy belly? Uh…I don’t think I have one of those. Let me get back to you in 15 years, okay?

In conclusion, I vow to provide as much teen-related fitness and healthness (which should be a word) to you as possible. I’m not sure what I will actually get down on paper, but I can promise that I will not get too off-topic. I can also promise that I will not bore you with boring facts. I will give facts, but I will make them as interesting as possible. I’ll know because if I become bored writing about them then of COURSE you’re bored!

Well, right now I need to go find something to eat (because I am hungry AND it’s dinner time).

Thank you for taking the time to read this second (and certainly much shorter) introduction. I hope you’ll come and visit next time I write. Because I want you to love fitness. Sounds weird, but…well, you’ll see.

The Magical Transformation--my little Testimony

2006-09-25T16:25:00.000-07:00

I used to be a very pessimistic person who didn’t really accomplish much. Typically I saw goals as too far to reach and quit what I was doing, before I even gave myself a chance to see that maybe it was possible. I even got to a point where I saw finishing something as impossible.

I don’t have the slightest clue when my view on life began to change. I believe, however, it was when I saw Johnny Weir at the 2006 winter Olympics, and then at the 2006 Worlds. What I saw was a great skater with fire and passion. He had appreciation on so many different levels for his sport. It wasn’t really a sport to him. He skated as though it were more of a performing art than it was a competitive art.

At that time I had been swimming two days a week on a swim team for about four months. It was my first swim team, and my first sport. I hadn’t been very athletic at all since I had dropped ballet for theatre in 2002. And you can imagine how I started to look once puberty hit and I grew taller, and grew hips. Don’t get me wrong; I did small things like mile-long bike rides ever-so-often when I felt like it, and swam six or eight laps at my pool every few days in the summer.

I loved swimming, and had always wanted to join a team. But I was afraid to. I guess I was mostly afraid of trying out. That is, trying out and being told that I was terrible at my strokes, or that I was too slow. I realize now that, by fearing the outcome of something like trying out for a team, I automatically limit what I actually can do. If I have a fear of not being fast enough, I slowed down.

It was late November, 2005, when I decided to let go of inhibitions, go to the pool and try out. Why? Well, I was angry and bored. Two weeks before I had just completed the production of a Christmas play with my drama group then, HeartBandit Productions. So post-play time was aggravating, and I had just gone through a rather devastating heartbreak the day before. During my tryout I was the only one there, and my anger plus my desire for anything to take my mind off everything drove me to swim faster and better. Within five minutes I had made the team.

Four months later, I had competed in one meet and placed second in the 50 free. But something wasn’t right. I would go to practice and swim the bare minimum. I slowly stopped enjoying long sets or challenging sprint reps. I started only caring about getting better. Better than myself, better than other girls on the team. My only driving force was competitiveness.

Watching Johnny Weir, I saw that, even though he hardly placed in top six in both the Olympics and World Championships, he had a love for skating. His driving force was way beyond competition. Sure, he wanted to win and was extremely bummed when he didn’t. But that didn’t take away his passion for his sport.

I wanted that. I wanted to love everything about swimming. Suddenly I wanted to get into other things too. I started getting up earlier and doing things on TV. I would do half-hour yoga programs and half-hour pilates programs. There were plenty of mornings when I just didn’t want to get up. But I would tell myself that, as sleepy as I was, I loved it. This was going to up my physical activity, enhance my swimming and I was going to love it. Just doing it would bring me joy. Because Johnny Weir loved it through all the hard times, why couldn’t I? After all, at the time, my only hardship was getting up an hour earlier than I used to.

Gradually my desire to want to like exercise faded into a desire to exercise. I’m not saying that every morning I jumped out of bed and started doing jumping jacks with a gigantic grin on my face that screamed “too much coffee”. Far from it, actually. But I began to enjoy my exercise time by myself, and with my swim team.

This never turned into an obsession with exercise (aside from a few days when I really did have too much coffee), but it did develop into, some time in July or August, a passion for athletics. A desire to strengthen, tone, to get faster. Most of all, a passion for swimming, which is really what I wanted most of all. And now I see it’s not only what I wanted, it’s what I needed.

A love for sports, athletics and fitness is something I want to share with everyone, especially highschool students. Whether one is overweight, chunky in areas, underweight or just fine (defined by your opinion of yourself and not Vogue magazine--nothing against it, just making a generalization) I want them to be healthy and fit in one way or another. And I want them to not only love the benefits they reap from being fit and healthy, I want them to love the process. It gave me a meaning in life, a meaning in my sport and, let’s face it, a better body.

I am going to try to blog at least three days a week. I’ll share personal experiences with you in my own journeys (such as a running program I started this week, which you will probably hear about a lot), share tips with you and give you a little insight into the life of a Jessica. I’m only 16 and do not have a certificate of any kind as a trainer, but I have learned a lot about many different health and fitness-related topics over the years and especially over the summer. With that in mind, feel free to comment about my entries and ask questions. I will give you the answers to the ones I know for sure I can answer myself, and the others I will recommend someone or something that can.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this. Soon I hope to have a website going with even more information.

Have fun with life. Go do something fun, preferably active (sitting down and reading about how to do it can help your mind to prepare you to do it, but sitting here forever playing online poker afterwards is not). Just kidding around.

I’ll write later, seeya!