So I’ve been in Madison Wisconsin at the Oscar Mayer Headquarters for a really cool event about luncheon meat.

Yeah, I know that it sounds dorky, but it was actually pretty interesting, I had a chance to be professionally filmed doing a sandwich recipe (which I will post a link to when it goes up) and was able to hang out with some truly fantastic women! (Part I and Part II)

Obviously I could not do the actual 30 day challenge workouts, but I did go to the gym BOTH MORNINGS!

Whoo-hoo! Go me!

Not only that, but yesterday morning I really pushed myself. I did the treadmill for 30 minutes, and alternated between running and a very slow jog in 4 minute intervals. After 2 of the 4 sets, I really, really wanted to click back the intensity of those running parts. But I said to myself “Self-you can do this! I know your legs are burning and you want to let up, but letting up is why you don’t lose weight. . . as long as it isn’t just pain, but is fatigue you WILL keep going.”. . . And I did! I was just so proud of me.

While I was doing my cool down I saw the guy behind me (the treadmill faced a mirror) using the free weights and I made an on the spot decision to use the lightest handweights they had (5lbs) and replicate some of the exercises that I had been doing with the exercise band.

I can’t tell you the last time I used any kind of free weights. Probably the last time I was still in the Army. But I just did exactly what I’d been doing on the EA Sports workouts-bicep curls, tricept kickbacks, bent over rows. . . Just 2 sets of 10 each-which will never make me into a body builder or anything, but for me that was taking the “gym” style workout up a notch.

Now this mornings workout wasn’t as intense by any means. Actually it was totally lame in comparison. I just did a steady 30 minute fast walk. Since what I really wanted to do was completely skip it, I figured that walking was better than nothing. I rationalized by telling myself that although my thighs didn’t hurt from the run the day before, I really didn’t want to be aching the whole time I was traveling home this afternoon.

Speaking of traveling, humping my pretty heaving roller suitcase and purse through 4 different airport terminals, two of which I had to book it as fast as I could walk without running in order to catch my flight, has GOT to count as an additional workout. Even if I did sort of offset it by eating cheese nips and a Tobblerone bar (which was a gift from the Oscar Mayer folks-Kraft and Oscar Mayer are merged-and Kraft makes Tobblerone! Who knew?)

Jenn Fowler blogs at Frugal Upstate where she encourages folks to “Use what you have, get creative and save.” She co-hosts the talk radio show “Frugal Coast2Coast” , is a FiLife contributor, one of the founding members of the Walmart Elevenmoms, and a Frugal Living Speaker. Jenn is addicted to twitter ( @jennfowler ).