...and many steps to cross the finish line.
Happy Saturday! I survived my night at work, breaking down and having a single cup of coffee (with sugar and cream, I have to confess). I don't feel super bad because coffee is something I enjoy, but I also don't want to be in a habit of desperately needing it every day. Anywho, work went quite well, as overnights tend to do for me. Somehow I end up getting super quiet nights almost every time I work overnight by myself. You sure won't hear me complaining about that!
I must admit, I was tempted to just go home after my shift was over. Thankfully I'd opened my mouth in front of a couple of coworkers about hitting the fitness center so there was some accountability/guilt-tripping going on. I'm glad I got down to the gym (like I always am once it's over), and now I can sleep well knowing I put in a good effort.
Today was the big day, my longest run of the year. For those of you who have been running for a while, 20 minutes doesn't sound like much, but for me it's a spectacular milestone. I wasn't sure how my body was going to take it, so I went at 5.5 mph with the knowledge that I could always adjust the speed if necessary. I don't know if I could have gone much faster and sustained it for the entire time, but during the last two minutes I increased the speed and handled that fine. This gives me hope for speed drills in the future.
I nabbed 2.35 miles in 28 minutes, which comes out to an 11:54 pace. Keep that up and I've got my less than 36-minute 5K in the bag! Woo-hoo!
I also did a few ab exercises, but after the fourth move I got a pretty good stitch and decided I'd better ease up for now. There's plenty of time to build up to more moves and more reps.
The temps are supposed to drop significantly by Monday, when the high is supposed to be 79 (it topped out at 102 yesterday), so I might be headed back to Gray's Lake for my runs.
Have a great weekend and be safe, whatever you're doing. And try to work in some exercise while you're at it.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Friday, August 30, 2013
Ten little monkeys jumping on the bed...
Happy Friday! (Insert Rebecca Black song) By the time most of you see this you will be done or close to done with work for the week. I have to say I'm jealous. Due to one of my coworkers being on vacation, I will be working the overnight shift tonight. It's 2:30 PM now, and after a bit of lunch and a little grocery shopping I will have to try and get a nap so I can at least survive the night. Since I'm trying to avoid caffeine, particularly because of its dehydrating properties, I'm not wanting to have any coffee while I'm at work, but we'll see how the night goes.
Today was my day for strength training, and it went remarkably well. I didn't sweat nearly as much as last time, probably because I've had the A/C set cooler, but it has to also be due in part because I'm adapting to the weight I'm using. It looks like sometime next week I will have to increase the weight for at least some of the exercises to continue my growth. That's exciting, though, because it means I'm making progress.
I'm looking forward to tomorrow with my long run coming up. I've also figured out that after my runs would be a great time to go through a short ab routine. The Power 90 program has a set of 10 ab exercises and it only takes about 10 minutes to go through them all. Obviously I'm not going to put forth a six-pack simply by doing crunches and stuff, but my core muscles could use some specific targeting to get them stronger.
There's lots of time left today for you to get something exercisey done, and with a long weekend ahead for most, ample opportunities abound. Good luck, and I'll see you tomorrow!
Today was my day for strength training, and it went remarkably well. I didn't sweat nearly as much as last time, probably because I've had the A/C set cooler, but it has to also be due in part because I'm adapting to the weight I'm using. It looks like sometime next week I will have to increase the weight for at least some of the exercises to continue my growth. That's exciting, though, because it means I'm making progress.
I'm looking forward to tomorrow with my long run coming up. I've also figured out that after my runs would be a great time to go through a short ab routine. The Power 90 program has a set of 10 ab exercises and it only takes about 10 minutes to go through them all. Obviously I'm not going to put forth a six-pack simply by doing crunches and stuff, but my core muscles could use some specific targeting to get them stronger.
There's lots of time left today for you to get something exercisey done, and with a long weekend ahead for most, ample opportunities abound. Good luck, and I'll see you tomorrow!
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Two for one special...
I ran out of time to put up a post yesterday, so you're going to get two days at once now.
I did my strength training routine via Power 90 yesterday and felt great throughout and afterward. Push-ups, squats, lunges, and chair dips are getting a bit easier to perform. Lack of flexibility and/or strength in my upper back and shoulders are preventing me from doing very deep push-ups and chair dips, but there is improvement. I'm only using the Level 1-2 workout right now and have been debating going up to Level 3-4 as it would add an extra circuit to the mix.
I went running after work last night. That went remarkably well. My routine this time was a 5-minute walk, 8-minute jog, 5-minute walk, 8-minute jog, with a 3-minute cooldown at the end. I added a little extra speed for the last 1 1/2 minutes, resulting in a total distance of 2.29 miles, which is a 12:39 pace. Saturday morning will be my first major test of endurance with a solid 20-minute jog. I might have to drop from 5.5 mph to 5.0 mph to get through the whole thing, but that decision will rest on how I feel that morning.
I also weighed myself today and came in at 227.4 pounds. That's 4.2 pounds lost in the last 2 1/2 weeks. I've definitely been helped along by keeping a food diary. I don't look all that different just yet, though I noticed on Sunday that my dress pants fit a tiny bit better than the previous week and my work shirts feel a little tighter in the shoulders and chest, so it seems something is happening. I'd be glad to be closer to 210 or 215 by the race in November just so I'm not trying to carry as much weight on the course, but at the same time, as I've said previously, the actual number on the scale isn't as important to me as the composition of the pounds. If I ultimately weighed over 200 and was below 18% body fat, that would be far better than weighing 180 and being closer to 30% body fat. In any case, hopefully in a few weeks I'll have picture updates that are worth posting.
I trust you're doing what you can to improve your own fitness. Remember, don't be discouraged by setbacks, but focus on how to improve tomorrow.
I did my strength training routine via Power 90 yesterday and felt great throughout and afterward. Push-ups, squats, lunges, and chair dips are getting a bit easier to perform. Lack of flexibility and/or strength in my upper back and shoulders are preventing me from doing very deep push-ups and chair dips, but there is improvement. I'm only using the Level 1-2 workout right now and have been debating going up to Level 3-4 as it would add an extra circuit to the mix.
I went running after work last night. That went remarkably well. My routine this time was a 5-minute walk, 8-minute jog, 5-minute walk, 8-minute jog, with a 3-minute cooldown at the end. I added a little extra speed for the last 1 1/2 minutes, resulting in a total distance of 2.29 miles, which is a 12:39 pace. Saturday morning will be my first major test of endurance with a solid 20-minute jog. I might have to drop from 5.5 mph to 5.0 mph to get through the whole thing, but that decision will rest on how I feel that morning.
I also weighed myself today and came in at 227.4 pounds. That's 4.2 pounds lost in the last 2 1/2 weeks. I've definitely been helped along by keeping a food diary. I don't look all that different just yet, though I noticed on Sunday that my dress pants fit a tiny bit better than the previous week and my work shirts feel a little tighter in the shoulders and chest, so it seems something is happening. I'd be glad to be closer to 210 or 215 by the race in November just so I'm not trying to carry as much weight on the course, but at the same time, as I've said previously, the actual number on the scale isn't as important to me as the composition of the pounds. If I ultimately weighed over 200 and was below 18% body fat, that would be far better than weighing 180 and being closer to 30% body fat. In any case, hopefully in a few weeks I'll have picture updates that are worth posting.
I trust you're doing what you can to improve your own fitness. Remember, don't be discouraged by setbacks, but focus on how to improve tomorrow.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Cruisin'...on an early Tuesday morning...
Last night after work I trudged over to the fitness center at work to get in my first running workout of the week. Okay, maybe "trudged" isn't the right word as I was reasonably awake. It had cooled off some by the time my shift was over, though it was still hotter than I would have preferred for outdoor running (I know, I'm such a wimp!).
This is my third week running, but I'm working on the 5th week of the C25K program. This week, each session is different. Next week all three workouts will be different, too. I'll be moving more quickly to endurance building as two weeks from now all of my running sessions will be long and uninterrupted.
Continuing with my friend's suggestion, I did a quick half-mile warm-up before stretching, and I think that really helped. I don't have any soreness yet today, and that's even after doing a strength training routine yesterday, too. Pretty exciting! It also means I'm probably going to need to up the intensity in my workouts soon or else I will start hitting a plateau.
The routine last night started with a 5-minute walk, followed by three 5-minute jogs with 3-minute walks in between, wrapping up with a 3-minute cooldown. I managed to cover 2.25 miles in 29 minutes, which is a 13:20 pace. It was a bit disappointing to see my time increase like that, but as I didn't want to push too hard at first and burn myself out, I eased off a bit compared to Saturday. At the same time, though, it seems I have to put in a lot more effort to maintain the speed the treadmill says I'm going compared to running outside, so it's entirely possible that had I been running outside I would have covered more distance. The treadmill should be consistent with itself, however, so as long as I'm using it I can at least compare my workouts.
September 27th or 28th will be my last workout of the C25K program, leaving me with 5 weeks to add miles and do speed drills before the race on November 3rd. Even though my pace last night came out as close to a 40-minute 5K, I'm sure I can easily get less than 35 minutes come race day.
Hopefully you've got some goals of your own that you are working on. Try to stick with them, and try not to set them unrealistically high. Also, be sure to set little daily goals as well as big picture ones, and if you don't meet them, pick yourself up and go again tomorrow.
This is my third week running, but I'm working on the 5th week of the C25K program. This week, each session is different. Next week all three workouts will be different, too. I'll be moving more quickly to endurance building as two weeks from now all of my running sessions will be long and uninterrupted.
Continuing with my friend's suggestion, I did a quick half-mile warm-up before stretching, and I think that really helped. I don't have any soreness yet today, and that's even after doing a strength training routine yesterday, too. Pretty exciting! It also means I'm probably going to need to up the intensity in my workouts soon or else I will start hitting a plateau.
The routine last night started with a 5-minute walk, followed by three 5-minute jogs with 3-minute walks in between, wrapping up with a 3-minute cooldown. I managed to cover 2.25 miles in 29 minutes, which is a 13:20 pace. It was a bit disappointing to see my time increase like that, but as I didn't want to push too hard at first and burn myself out, I eased off a bit compared to Saturday. At the same time, though, it seems I have to put in a lot more effort to maintain the speed the treadmill says I'm going compared to running outside, so it's entirely possible that had I been running outside I would have covered more distance. The treadmill should be consistent with itself, however, so as long as I'm using it I can at least compare my workouts.
September 27th or 28th will be my last workout of the C25K program, leaving me with 5 weeks to add miles and do speed drills before the race on November 3rd. Even though my pace last night came out as close to a 40-minute 5K, I'm sure I can easily get less than 35 minutes come race day.
Hopefully you've got some goals of your own that you are working on. Try to stick with them, and try not to set them unrealistically high. Also, be sure to set little daily goals as well as big picture ones, and if you don't meet them, pick yourself up and go again tomorrow.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Heat wave!
We're supposed to be hitting temps near 100 degrees most of this week. Even inside with the A/C running, I feel a little warm. That is partly because I just finished my strength training workout for the day.
Today's routine went quite well. I could probably increase the weight for a few of the exercises, but I'm going to hold off to make sure I don't injure myself.
Short post today as I need to eat and get ready for work. Look for another one tomorrow!
Today's routine went quite well. I could probably increase the weight for a few of the exercises, but I'm going to hold off to make sure I don't injure myself.
Short post today as I need to eat and get ready for work. Look for another one tomorrow!
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Stronger and faster...
I'm bringing you a joint post today. With my working overnights this weekend, I was thoroughly exhausted when I got home yesterday morning and needed sleep more than exercise. When I woke up, I didn't feel the absolute greatest and needed at least some water before even thinking about working out, and even still I almost didn't get a session in. However, Abi and I were able to eat supper much earlier than we might have normally with this schedule, and by about 10:15 PM I had the Power 90 workout up and running.
I was worried about residual soreness from Wednesday's workout, which was still bugging me when I got home Friday morning, but after sleeping all day most of it had gone away and it didn't bother me at all. Better still, the workout seemed to go much smoother than Wednesday. I left the weight where it had been (15 pounds for all of the exercises) and it was a good deal easier to go through everything. Hopefully I stretched everything out sufficiently afterwards to prevent a lot of aches and pains from building back up. One blessing is that I won't be hitting the weights until Monday.
Today, then, I hopped on the treadmill in the fitness center at work after my shift was over because of the heat and humidity (with a high of 96 predicted, it's not surprising it felt so warm outside even at 8 AM). At the suggestion of a friend of mine, I started out with a brisk half-mile walk before stretching to loosen everything up. I think it really made a difference in my ability to run as well as the recovery.
I stayed pretty consistent with the rest of this week, logging 2.38 miles in 30 minutes, a 12:36 pace. I started out hitting my jogging intervals at 6.1 mph, and managed to get through the first 3- and 5-minute intervals at this speed. During the second 3-minute jog I had to back off a bit after a minute or two, and for the second 5-minute jog I started at 5 mph, with a little burst of speed during the last minute. With the temps predicted to be hovering around 100 degrees this coming week, I'm going to use the treadmill at work when my shift is over. I'll have to experiment, but I think if I start at 5.5 mph I can maintain it throughout.
Next week I'm using the 5th week schedule from C25K, which means every day will be a different workout, culminating in a solid 20-minute run on the last day. Definitely exciting!
I am blessed with a fitness center at work I can use as well as a set of adjustable dumbbells here at home, but don't feel like you need fancy equipment or a gym membership to get healthy yourself. Milk jugs filled with water, sand, concrete, or whatever you can add to give them some weight can be used for strength training purposes, and there are many exercises you can do with simply your body. Diet is also a major portion of weight loss, if that's your goal, and keeping a food diary is a huge element in that regard. MyFitnessPal is a great website for this, though you can log everything by hand if you'd prefer. Keeping a food diary forces me to evaluate 1) if I'm really hungry, and 2) if the snack/meal I'm considering is really worth the hit to my daily calorie goal.
Have a great weekend, and I look forward to seeing you next week!
I was worried about residual soreness from Wednesday's workout, which was still bugging me when I got home Friday morning, but after sleeping all day most of it had gone away and it didn't bother me at all. Better still, the workout seemed to go much smoother than Wednesday. I left the weight where it had been (15 pounds for all of the exercises) and it was a good deal easier to go through everything. Hopefully I stretched everything out sufficiently afterwards to prevent a lot of aches and pains from building back up. One blessing is that I won't be hitting the weights until Monday.
Today, then, I hopped on the treadmill in the fitness center at work after my shift was over because of the heat and humidity (with a high of 96 predicted, it's not surprising it felt so warm outside even at 8 AM). At the suggestion of a friend of mine, I started out with a brisk half-mile walk before stretching to loosen everything up. I think it really made a difference in my ability to run as well as the recovery.
I stayed pretty consistent with the rest of this week, logging 2.38 miles in 30 minutes, a 12:36 pace. I started out hitting my jogging intervals at 6.1 mph, and managed to get through the first 3- and 5-minute intervals at this speed. During the second 3-minute jog I had to back off a bit after a minute or two, and for the second 5-minute jog I started at 5 mph, with a little burst of speed during the last minute. With the temps predicted to be hovering around 100 degrees this coming week, I'm going to use the treadmill at work when my shift is over. I'll have to experiment, but I think if I start at 5.5 mph I can maintain it throughout.
Next week I'm using the 5th week schedule from C25K, which means every day will be a different workout, culminating in a solid 20-minute run on the last day. Definitely exciting!
I am blessed with a fitness center at work I can use as well as a set of adjustable dumbbells here at home, but don't feel like you need fancy equipment or a gym membership to get healthy yourself. Milk jugs filled with water, sand, concrete, or whatever you can add to give them some weight can be used for strength training purposes, and there are many exercises you can do with simply your body. Diet is also a major portion of weight loss, if that's your goal, and keeping a food diary is a huge element in that regard. MyFitnessPal is a great website for this, though you can log everything by hand if you'd prefer. Keeping a food diary forces me to evaluate 1) if I'm really hungry, and 2) if the snack/meal I'm considering is really worth the hit to my daily calorie goal.
Have a great weekend, and I look forward to seeing you next week!
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Breathe in...breath out...
With clouds in the sky and temps hovering right around 80 degrees, I got to the park much later than planned today (it was after 1 PM by the time I got started on my run). I wasn't sure how I would feel after yesterday's strength training workout as I was quite sore in many places by the time I got home from work last night. Thankfully the worst of it went away overnight and a little bit of stretching worked out a lot of the rest. Some more stretching, lunch, and possibly an Epsom salt bath will finish out my day. I'm working the overnight shift tonight and tomorrow night, which means today is pretty much going to be worthless. Thankfully, I shouldn't have to pull all-nighters anymore after this weekend and my overnight shift next Friday night/Saturday morning.
One funny thing I've noticed about myself when it comes to running is that usually in the last 10 minutes my muscles all really loosen up and my stride evens out. I suppose this could mean I should be doing more warming up before I get started. Something to consider, at least.
On to the stats, for those of you who care about such things. I got a total distance of 2.45 miles in 30 minutes, which is a 12:14 pace and is making my goal of running a 35-minute 5K in November look perhaps a little too easy. Time will tell, of course, as I'm still a couple weeks from sustained running. What I found especially fun today is that I hit the same distance as last time (2.34 miles) in 28 minutes flat--that's 2 whole minutes faster!
I'm looking forward to sharing what I go through over the next weeks and months. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into my life.
One funny thing I've noticed about myself when it comes to running is that usually in the last 10 minutes my muscles all really loosen up and my stride evens out. I suppose this could mean I should be doing more warming up before I get started. Something to consider, at least.
On to the stats, for those of you who care about such things. I got a total distance of 2.45 miles in 30 minutes, which is a 12:14 pace and is making my goal of running a 35-minute 5K in November look perhaps a little too easy. Time will tell, of course, as I'm still a couple weeks from sustained running. What I found especially fun today is that I hit the same distance as last time (2.34 miles) in 28 minutes flat--that's 2 whole minutes faster!
I'm looking forward to sharing what I go through over the next weeks and months. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into my life.
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