My last entry splashed at the end of January, 6 months ago. Between then, I'd wrestled down weight that I gained in conjunction with stress and anxiety. I hiked 50+ miles in Yosemite National Park. I began biking regularly on the Katy Trail. I placed third in a workplace walk-a-thon (81.3 miles in 8 weeks to be exact).
Not much has changed, but one thing does stand out - it's a lot harder to stay focused on exercise when I don't have a goal.
A goal? That's right. A goal. When I started this blog, my goal was to lose weight for my wedding (in the months after our engagement I ballooned up to the most I had ever weighed in my life... who knew Chipotle, Buffalo Wild Wings and beer weren't part of a healthy diet? I kid.) And the weight loss came easy - four days at the gym, two days of outdoor activities. It was a simple challenge and I enjoyed it, I was convinced I'd keep it going for good.
But as life tends to do, I was thrown a curve ball. Stress and anxiety began piling on. What was once a healthy routine became a chore. Depression set in. I didn't like the idea of admitting this, but I went to see my doctor anyway and the numbers were confirmed - I had put on nearly 10 lbs in 6 weeks and it wasn't my thyroid. Though it didn't look like it, I felt it all over - the slugishness, the bloating the tiredness.
Why would I want to blog about my un-fitness? Isn't that a little, well, antithetical? I fell off the face of the blogosphere with as much notice as a dribbling drop. I haven't made a big enough splash to leave any audiences pining.
After reading an inspring story from a co-worker on how she overcame her fear of running, I decided to sign up for my first 5k. My husband runs a 5k as his workout, so for me to run a race would invovle some serious training (note: my preferred method of pedestrian transport is walking). So I've hooked up with a running coach and I've got a workout plan in place. Here's to picking up my feet and keeping the blog up to date... I'm 62 days away from running a race!
(holy crap)
Showing posts with label cardio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cardio. Show all posts
Monday, August 1, 2011
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Bring-a-friend-to-the-gym Day
My fitness club ran a promotion to get new members by offering a "Member Appreciation Day," allowing members to bring guests free of charge.
Hubby and I worked out a lot together this weekend. We ran on Friday and went to our usual Power Vinyasa on Saturday. With the cold weather finally breaking, Hubby's been spending a lot of time out on the trails but recently began to experience shin splints. Hubby was an all-star track runner in high-school, passing up college scholarships to focus on his career. His family even dubbed him the Fitness-Freak so even if shin splints slowed him down, he needed to get a solid workout that spared his legs. I decided this was an excellent opportunity to bring Hubby to where all the magic happens for me.
We paired up at the elliptical machines and did a cardio session for 45 minutes. He enjoyed UFC fighting on his tv while I watched FoodNetwork. Then we hit the abs hard:
Abs & Arms routine for me and Hubby
Full body V sit-up: 20 reps
Push-ups (modified for me): 20 reps
Bicycle crunch: 20 reps
BOSU Balance Push-ups: for me 15 reps / Perfect Push-ups: for Hubby 20 reps
Full body V sit-up: 20 reps
Leg throw downs: for me 20 reps / Hubby skipped this
Squats with 10 lb. kettle ball: for me 20 reps / BOSU Balance Push-ups: for Hubby 20 reps
Kettle ball shoulder lifts: for me 20 reps
This workout totally kicked our butts and we'll probably sleep soundly tonight. I can already feel my shoulders are going to be a little sore tomorrow but it was totally worth it!
Hubby and I worked out a lot together this weekend. We ran on Friday and went to our usual Power Vinyasa on Saturday. With the cold weather finally breaking, Hubby's been spending a lot of time out on the trails but recently began to experience shin splints. Hubby was an all-star track runner in high-school, passing up college scholarships to focus on his career. His family even dubbed him the Fitness-Freak so even if shin splints slowed him down, he needed to get a solid workout that spared his legs. I decided this was an excellent opportunity to bring Hubby to where all the magic happens for me.
We paired up at the elliptical machines and did a cardio session for 45 minutes. He enjoyed UFC fighting on his tv while I watched FoodNetwork. Then we hit the abs hard:
Abs & Arms routine for me and Hubby
Full body V sit-up: 20 reps
Push-ups (modified for me): 20 reps
Bicycle crunch: 20 reps
BOSU Balance Push-ups: for me 15 reps / Perfect Push-ups: for Hubby 20 reps
Full body V sit-up: 20 reps
Leg throw downs: for me 20 reps / Hubby skipped this
Squats with 10 lb. kettle ball: for me 20 reps / BOSU Balance Push-ups: for Hubby 20 reps
Kettle ball shoulder lifts: for me 20 reps
This workout totally kicked our butts and we'll probably sleep soundly tonight. I can already feel my shoulders are going to be a little sore tomorrow but it was totally worth it!
Learning to Run
Confession: I despise running… in all forms. Where are you going? If you’re on a treadmill, the answer is nowhere. If you’re on a trail, what’s the rush? And on concrete? Meant for things with wheels or walking… your body, I believe, is not meant to take brutal weight shifts on an unyielding surface.
I ran track for two years. I ran the 400, the 4X400, the 200 hurdles, and occasionally the half. If you look at how my body has developed through the years, you’d see that I am a hybrid endomorph/mesomorph structure. That red bunchy muscle was built for speed, not endurance. My Hubby was blessed with the perfect mesomorph form. Running is a way of life for him, every spring taking to the parks or the trails to shed the winter weight, his lifelong pledge to fitness evident in his daily workouts.
After suffering from recurring knee injuries acquired through overuse and poor form in my dance training, most all high-impact activities were ruled out for me. Losing and maintaining weight loss became an uphill battle. Most of my research on the web led me to realize that both the knee injury and the weight gain played into each other. The more weight I put on, the more my knee had to carry. Of course, there are plenty of cardio solutions that don’t involve hitting the road – biking and elliptical are among my favorites. I dance twice a week, and on occasion I’ll drop in for a step, cardio kickboxing, or Zumba class. But aerobic classes are high-impact, so I have to take care when participating by listening to my body and making low-impact modifications.
My opposition to running changed when I met my sometimes-trainer, Dee. Part of the fitness module included bursts of cardio: jumping rope, step-ups, up-downs, high steps and of course, running in place. This seemed inane: running nowhere for 45 seconds.
“I’m not a runner, you know,” I said to Dee. He laughed and looked at his watch.
“You will be when I’m done with you,” he replied. “I want to see some sweat.”
Dee shared with me his own running story: he used to run a 5K everyday as a Marine. Now 2 years out, he still runs everyday.
So when I walked into the gym to find my usual elliptical occupied, I thought I’d hit the treadmill to walk and get the blood flowing. The urge to push the pace nagged me. I stepped briskly with the belt and I arrowed the speed upward. 5.8, 6.0, 6.2 and my legs moved below me. The treadmill was equipped with a red dot indicating my position on a fictitious track . I watched as my dot-self progressed around the loop, resetting when I arrived at the next lap. I pressed on. And before I knew it, I was 1 mile in.
Some days later, I reattempted the mile, pushed on and added another half. My legs didn’t mind the numbing thump on the belt and my knees responded gratefully to the change. I decided it was time to take the show on the road. I could comfortably run at a 6.2 mile pace on the treadmill, how different could it be on pavement? The answer: incredibly different. The resistance and action of pushing yourself off the ground versus the forward momentum and backward movement on the treadmill requires additional stamina and coordination.
Hubby and I took to the lake, 3.7 miles of flat paved paths. I set the pace and began strong. A half mile in, I began to feel the imbalance in my stride – my right leg and calf stiffened. I knew I couldn’t push on too much longer without risking compensation injury and I opted to turn around and push the .75 miles back to the car while Hubby worked through his shin splints on the remainder of the trail.
The fresh air gives me so much more freedom to be unencumbered by headphones and television and the monotony of a stationary cardio workout. In two days, I’ll reattempt the run alone, hoping to push past my previous breaking point and cover additional ground. It won’t happen over night, and I may never be able to run all 3.7 miles, but it’s another goal for me to work toward in my quest for fitness.
I ran track for two years. I ran the 400, the 4X400, the 200 hurdles, and occasionally the half. If you look at how my body has developed through the years, you’d see that I am a hybrid endomorph/mesomorph structure. That red bunchy muscle was built for speed, not endurance. My Hubby was blessed with the perfect mesomorph form. Running is a way of life for him, every spring taking to the parks or the trails to shed the winter weight, his lifelong pledge to fitness evident in his daily workouts.
After suffering from recurring knee injuries acquired through overuse and poor form in my dance training, most all high-impact activities were ruled out for me. Losing and maintaining weight loss became an uphill battle. Most of my research on the web led me to realize that both the knee injury and the weight gain played into each other. The more weight I put on, the more my knee had to carry. Of course, there are plenty of cardio solutions that don’t involve hitting the road – biking and elliptical are among my favorites. I dance twice a week, and on occasion I’ll drop in for a step, cardio kickboxing, or Zumba class. But aerobic classes are high-impact, so I have to take care when participating by listening to my body and making low-impact modifications.
My opposition to running changed when I met my sometimes-trainer, Dee. Part of the fitness module included bursts of cardio: jumping rope, step-ups, up-downs, high steps and of course, running in place. This seemed inane: running nowhere for 45 seconds.
“I’m not a runner, you know,” I said to Dee. He laughed and looked at his watch.
“You will be when I’m done with you,” he replied. “I want to see some sweat.”
Dee shared with me his own running story: he used to run a 5K everyday as a Marine. Now 2 years out, he still runs everyday.
So when I walked into the gym to find my usual elliptical occupied, I thought I’d hit the treadmill to walk and get the blood flowing. The urge to push the pace nagged me. I stepped briskly with the belt and I arrowed the speed upward. 5.8, 6.0, 6.2 and my legs moved below me. The treadmill was equipped with a red dot indicating my position on a fictitious track . I watched as my dot-self progressed around the loop, resetting when I arrived at the next lap. I pressed on. And before I knew it, I was 1 mile in.
Some days later, I reattempted the mile, pushed on and added another half. My legs didn’t mind the numbing thump on the belt and my knees responded gratefully to the change. I decided it was time to take the show on the road. I could comfortably run at a 6.2 mile pace on the treadmill, how different could it be on pavement? The answer: incredibly different. The resistance and action of pushing yourself off the ground versus the forward momentum and backward movement on the treadmill requires additional stamina and coordination.
Hubby and I took to the lake, 3.7 miles of flat paved paths. I set the pace and began strong. A half mile in, I began to feel the imbalance in my stride – my right leg and calf stiffened. I knew I couldn’t push on too much longer without risking compensation injury and I opted to turn around and push the .75 miles back to the car while Hubby worked through his shin splints on the remainder of the trail.
The fresh air gives me so much more freedom to be unencumbered by headphones and television and the monotony of a stationary cardio workout. In two days, I’ll reattempt the run alone, hoping to push past my previous breaking point and cover additional ground. It won’t happen over night, and I may never be able to run all 3.7 miles, but it’s another goal for me to work toward in my quest for fitness.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Cardio, Abs, & Legs 3-24-2010
I used today's workout to get some real focus on my Abs, but I always have some element of cardio to keep my workout more dynamic. Considering the amount of legwork I did during cardio, I laid off the weights.
35 minutes, intervals: elliptical
10 minutes, walk/run treadmill
Abs:
20 straight crunches
20 punch sit-ups (in the up position, "shadow box", punching right cross then left cross and return to the reclined position)
20 twists with 10lb weight (in the up position, hold the weight at chest level with your elbows pointed outward. Twist the upper body to the left and touch the weight to the ground, twist to return to center. Repeat this same movement to the right and return to the center.)
20 oblique crunches with 10lb weight
2 minutes of slow leg drops (on your back, legs extended into the air creating a 90 degree angle, slowly lower your legs until you are an inch from the ground, and bring your legs back up to the perpendicular position and repeat for 2 minutes)
Core:
1 minute - Plank
2 minutes - Side Plank (1 minute on each side)
2 minutes - Leg/Arm balance (from a table position, extend and lift the right leg to create an even plane with your spine. Balancing and using your core, left your left arm straight out infront of your body. From a side view, your limbs should create a table inline with your spine. Repeat on the other side.)
Legs:
1 minute Squats with 10 lb. weight (perform squat, upon returning to standing, press the weight above your head. Slowly lower and return to squat)
20 reps Jane Fondas (from table position, kick your heel straight up above your hip squeezing your gluts to focus energy)
35 minutes, intervals: elliptical
10 minutes, walk/run treadmill
Abs:
20 straight crunches
20 punch sit-ups (in the up position, "shadow box", punching right cross then left cross and return to the reclined position)
20 twists with 10lb weight (in the up position, hold the weight at chest level with your elbows pointed outward. Twist the upper body to the left and touch the weight to the ground, twist to return to center. Repeat this same movement to the right and return to the center.)
20 oblique crunches with 10lb weight
2 minutes of slow leg drops (on your back, legs extended into the air creating a 90 degree angle, slowly lower your legs until you are an inch from the ground, and bring your legs back up to the perpendicular position and repeat for 2 minutes)
Core:
1 minute - Plank
2 minutes - Side Plank (1 minute on each side)
2 minutes - Leg/Arm balance (from a table position, extend and lift the right leg to create an even plane with your spine. Balancing and using your core, left your left arm straight out infront of your body. From a side view, your limbs should create a table inline with your spine. Repeat on the other side.)
Legs:
1 minute Squats with 10 lb. weight (perform squat, upon returning to standing, press the weight above your head. Slowly lower and return to squat)
20 reps Jane Fondas (from table position, kick your heel straight up above your hip squeezing your gluts to focus energy)
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