For some reason I have a really hard time doing simple math while running. On Monday I went to the gym and warmed up on the treadmill for a few minutes. I had Week 7/Day 2 run ahead of me, 25 minutes. I am pretty much done running on the treadmill I think. I headed out the door, saw my heartrate monitor said I had been working out for 7 minutes and tried to add half my run (~13 minutes) to 7 minutes so I would know when to turn around. I was supposed to run until my watch said 20 minutes, turn around and then run until my watch said 32. Somehow, during the run I screwed up the math and thought I had to run until my watch said 37 minutes. All those numbers are making me dizzy.
Bottom line, I ran 30 minutes. 30 minutes! It was a damn slow 30 minutes but ask me if I care. I don't. I started to feel tired during the last few minutes and that's when I figured out what happened. I took my garmin with me because I wanted to see my exact distance and pace but the battery was dead. Next time. After my run I did back and biceps along with some core work. I was running out of time so I could only do 2.5 minutes on the stairs, instead of 5. I recently read an article that suggested that if you're running out of time, don't worry about the clock, just go harder. I probably should have tried to push even harder than 50spm (steps per minute).
Today, Tuesday, I started with 25 minutes on the bike at level 6. It's supposed to be the "random" setting but since I upped to level 6 it always looks like a hill routine. I'm so sensitive to the psychology of these things and something about the predictable route makes it harder for me. Hopefully, when I go up to level 7, it will start being truly random again. But that won't be for a while. Level 6 kicked my ass today. I was counting the seconds for the last "hill" to be over.
After the bike I did chest and triceps. The trainer I'd met with suggested I should be doing regular pushups instead of the modified ones I do. To his credit I think his aim is to encourage me, "I know you're strong enough." But if I do regular ones I could maybe do 3 or 4. As it is I do 3 sets of 10 of the modified ones (as in 30, a far cry from 3-4). Today there were a couple of really fit women in my age range and they were really inspiring me. Then one of them uses a bench to do what? Modified pushups. Thank you! Later the other woman got up after doing core work, winced, and rubber her lower back. Reminded me that we all have our challenges. Thank goodness they don't read this blog, it almost sounds like I was staring at them.
Well, that's it. I've worked out Sun, Mon and Tue of this week so tomorrow is a rest day. Though it's my day home with the kids so I don't know how much "rest" I'll be getting. Then I'm planning to hit the gym Thur and Fri so I can take Saturday off because...
On Sunday I'm doing a 25 mile bike ride. It's accidentally symbolic because it's the same ride I did in 2008 when I was getting into cycling. Only thing is, I was about 17 pounds lighter than I am now. But that's ok, it's part cycling, part wine tasting, who cares how much I weigh, right?
By the time I was near the end of my run I'd somehow
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Stronger Every Day
That's how it's been feeling lately, like I am adding a bit more strength (and endurance) each day. It sure is rewarding. On Friday I went to the gym and did Week 7/Day 1 for c25k. Week 7 is the same as Week 6/Day 3, a 25 minute run. I ran outside again and it was ok, not a fabulous showing, but I felt good about it. I wasn't feeling strong enough to even attempt The Hill, plus it was hot out. Back at the gym I did chest/triceps/core for strength training. One thing that's not getting easier are the modified pushups I do on the smith machine. About a month ago I lowered the bar down a notch and I have been struggling ever since to get through all three sets of 10. Maybe I should drop down to three sets of 8 until I get stronger. You know I hate to suffer! I wrapped up with the stairs for 5 minutes and this time I was able to do the whole 5 minutes at 50 steps per minute! See? Stronger all the time.
My mom and grandfather came over for dinner on Friday night and boy did I eat! Mom brought steaks to grill and potatoes to bake and artichoke dip with crackers, and, and, and...you get the idea. After they left and the kids went to bed I went to a champagne tasting event at a friend's house. I vowed that, after that dinner, I would not drink any champagne. 1 - to save the calories and 2 - to keep me from indulging in the fabulous desserty food I knew she would be serving (including a chocolate fountain!). I stuck to my guns and did not drink, or eat, at all. It was sort of easy being I was so full from dinner :o
I ate light on Saturday not only because of the steak dinner but also because Saturday night we had a date night planned! Saturday was also a day off from the gym so I wouldn't have the calorie burn to help balance things out, though we went out for a leisurely hike/bike ride with the kids. Miguel pulled Myra in the wagon and Marek and I rode bikes (sort of, he was off and on his bike every 5 minutes). It was fun to get outside with the kids, as always. And, of course, I was feeling grateful for both the ability and the interest to do this sort of thing. Toward the end Miguel asked if I was tired, "heck no". Maybe a little bored at times with our .2 mph pace but not tired.
Date night was a calorie explosion! I had fish and chips for dinner (totally worth it, thank goodness) and took a dessert of banana pudding with nilla wafers and whipped cream to go. I ate the dessert during the movie. Sadly, it wasn't so worth it, too sweet for my taste, and I kind of wish I'd skipped it. Once I started eating it though, Icouldn't didn't stop. We saw Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which was fun. It was nice to get out for an evening alone.
Today (Sunday) I planned to eat really light to balance out date night. I promptly forgot to eat breakfast and ended up eating a burrito around 11:30am. It was a curry shrimp High Tech burrito from their "healthy" menu. 429 calories (except more because I got a regular flour tortilla instead of the low-cal wheat version). All in all probably not bad for breakfast and lunch combined.
I went to the gym in the afternoon and rode the bike to start. I'd been feeling like I might be ready to push up to Level 6 (on the random route) so I gave it a try. Now, instead of topping out at Level 8, it tops out at Level 9. A new challenge indeed. But I was able to do the 25 minutes and felt good. Unfortunately I decided to make this level increase on a legs day so some of the subsequent strength training exercises were painful, like leg extensions. Ouch! Lunges again went well, only wobbled a couple times. I wrapped up with 5 minutes on the stairs at 50 steps per minute. And it wasn't even killing me. I'm putting the master in StairMaster! Hee hee.
For dinner tonight I again went light. I cooked black beans today so I had some of those, a 1/4 of an avocado and a couple slice of chicken breast. I'm feeling hungry still so I might have another little bowl of black beans before I go to bed. If I were only trying to maintain weight I wouldn't think twice but with trying to lose weight I have to be tight with the calories. Ah, what the heck, it's a bowl of black beans and I'm hungry. Like I said, I'm not into suffering!
My mom and grandfather came over for dinner on Friday night and boy did I eat! Mom brought steaks to grill and potatoes to bake and artichoke dip with crackers, and, and, and...you get the idea. After they left and the kids went to bed I went to a champagne tasting event at a friend's house. I vowed that, after that dinner, I would not drink any champagne. 1 - to save the calories and 2 - to keep me from indulging in the fabulous desserty food I knew she would be serving (including a chocolate fountain!). I stuck to my guns and did not drink, or eat, at all. It was sort of easy being I was so full from dinner :o
I ate light on Saturday not only because of the steak dinner but also because Saturday night we had a date night planned! Saturday was also a day off from the gym so I wouldn't have the calorie burn to help balance things out, though we went out for a leisurely hike/bike ride with the kids. Miguel pulled Myra in the wagon and Marek and I rode bikes (sort of, he was off and on his bike every 5 minutes). It was fun to get outside with the kids, as always. And, of course, I was feeling grateful for both the ability and the interest to do this sort of thing. Toward the end Miguel asked if I was tired, "heck no". Maybe a little bored at times with our .2 mph pace but not tired.
Date night was a calorie explosion! I had fish and chips for dinner (totally worth it, thank goodness) and took a dessert of banana pudding with nilla wafers and whipped cream to go. I ate the dessert during the movie. Sadly, it wasn't so worth it, too sweet for my taste, and I kind of wish I'd skipped it. Once I started eating it though, I
Today (Sunday) I planned to eat really light to balance out date night. I promptly forgot to eat breakfast and ended up eating a burrito around 11:30am. It was a curry shrimp High Tech burrito from their "healthy" menu. 429 calories (except more because I got a regular flour tortilla instead of the low-cal wheat version). All in all probably not bad for breakfast and lunch combined.
I went to the gym in the afternoon and rode the bike to start. I'd been feeling like I might be ready to push up to Level 6 (on the random route) so I gave it a try. Now, instead of topping out at Level 8, it tops out at Level 9. A new challenge indeed. But I was able to do the 25 minutes and felt good. Unfortunately I decided to make this level increase on a legs day so some of the subsequent strength training exercises were painful, like leg extensions. Ouch! Lunges again went well, only wobbled a couple times. I wrapped up with 5 minutes on the stairs at 50 steps per minute. And it wasn't even killing me. I'm putting the master in StairMaster! Hee hee.
For dinner tonight I again went light. I cooked black beans today so I had some of those, a 1/4 of an avocado and a couple slice of chicken breast. I'm feeling hungry still so I might have another little bowl of black beans before I go to bed. If I were only trying to maintain weight I wouldn't think twice but with trying to lose weight I have to be tight with the calories. Ah, what the heck, it's a bowl of black beans and I'm hungry. Like I said, I'm not into suffering!
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