Took a walk Tuesday at lunch. Around 30 minutes.
Ran errands and walked while doing many of them Wednesday. Intermittent walking.
Thursday -- did some calesthenics and a few "intervals" on the elliptical. Note: my pullups are deteriorating. Need to work in a few sessions a week of light work to keep up pushups and pullups.
I'm trying to incorporate something every day, even if just walking. I want to break out the FlowFit for this purpose. FlowFit will begin next week? It's a question only because I'll be out of town for a few days; hoping to get my WOW in on Sunday at the hotel.
I've got a thought piece burning at my WordPress site. I can't seem to break away from this old blog, though. Habits die hard.
11.12.2009
11.09.2009
Anecdotal Evidence That Running Does Not Change Your Body
I was just talking with my brother about how people love routines. Maybe it calms the natural chaos and makes us, for just a second, feel like we have control. For whatever reason, we all do it to some extent. A regular commuter like me probably more than others. Having a routine gives me some predicability, but it also allows me to see some of the same people every day. People who, like me, are following their own routine.
As I leave around the same time every morning, I see a certain woman running -- almost every day. She has a pronounced style and almost always wears the same outfit and has her long hair in a low ponytail every day. I've seen her at various points in her path and would say she goes several miles at least some of the time and she goes at a moderate pace - a jog.
Think about that. Almost every day, rain, shine, cold, hot. Let's say she goes 4 times a week, 5 miles a run, 20 miles a week, 80 miles a month...you get the idea. She does what most people say they "should" or "want" to do.
What have I noticed? Her body has not changed one bit in all the time (probably a few years now) that I've noticed her. Not a bit. She is not fat but not what I would call a "hard body," her butt is not tiny or shapely (something that people like to attribute to running ... I think it might be genes (and maybe certain jeans)), and she hasn't lost any weight. It's just one woman, but it says a lot to me because you can see people like this everywhere - at the gym, on the bike trail, at work. Like the man I used to work with who biked to work most of the year, quite a long ride, to work and home. He had a beer belly and was not slim by any means and never, ever lost his beer belly in all the years of riding (I worked with him for 2.5 years and he always biked).
Admittedly, I have had trouble changing my body, but I have, for the most part, been doing exactly what I've always done. Aside from the last year where I went completely grain-free, I do everything the same. After years of frustration, I noew feel good eating and finally have decided to change my routine and do less "exercise," and to keep tweaking my food choices (and amounts).
Doing the same thing over and over will get you nowhere - except frustrated and unmotivated.* Hopefully it will lead me to a lean and healthy second half of life!
*I can appreciate that some people run or exercise for the mental benefits.
As I leave around the same time every morning, I see a certain woman running -- almost every day. She has a pronounced style and almost always wears the same outfit and has her long hair in a low ponytail every day. I've seen her at various points in her path and would say she goes several miles at least some of the time and she goes at a moderate pace - a jog.
Think about that. Almost every day, rain, shine, cold, hot. Let's say she goes 4 times a week, 5 miles a run, 20 miles a week, 80 miles a month...you get the idea. She does what most people say they "should" or "want" to do.
What have I noticed? Her body has not changed one bit in all the time (probably a few years now) that I've noticed her. Not a bit. She is not fat but not what I would call a "hard body," her butt is not tiny or shapely (something that people like to attribute to running ... I think it might be genes (and maybe certain jeans)), and she hasn't lost any weight. It's just one woman, but it says a lot to me because you can see people like this everywhere - at the gym, on the bike trail, at work. Like the man I used to work with who biked to work most of the year, quite a long ride, to work and home. He had a beer belly and was not slim by any means and never, ever lost his beer belly in all the years of riding (I worked with him for 2.5 years and he always biked).
Admittedly, I have had trouble changing my body, but I have, for the most part, been doing exactly what I've always done. Aside from the last year where I went completely grain-free, I do everything the same. After years of frustration, I noew feel good eating and finally have decided to change my routine and do less "exercise," and to keep tweaking my food choices (and amounts).
Doing the same thing over and over will get you nowhere - except frustrated and unmotivated.* Hopefully it will lead me to a lean and healthy second half of life!
*I can appreciate that some people run or exercise for the mental benefits.
Quick Workout Addendum
I have to add some work that was done not as part of my workout but as part of my day and chores. We picked up about 1,000 lbs of slate and had to bring it in from the car. While my husband did the lion's share of the work, on Saturday I brought in 4, 50 lbs boxes (approx. some were heavier) and Sunday I made 5 trips with 2 tiles each (approx 20 lbs) and 3 more 50 lbs boxes. Kind of like sets of farmer's walks. I was totally exhausted after each set of work. This was in addition to my Sunday workout.
Below baseline?
How did this affect me? I'm not sure yet, but I didn't sleep very well (or very much) last night (Sunday night). Perhaps I've gone too far below baseline. I'll try to keep in tune with how I feel this week.
Below baseline?
How did this affect me? I'm not sure yet, but I didn't sleep very well (or very much) last night (Sunday night). Perhaps I've gone too far below baseline. I'll try to keep in tune with how I feel this week.
11.08.2009
Today's Plan and Actual - a side by side
I'm posting the PLAN and then I'll come back and post the comparison. You'll see it all as one post, but I am doing this in two parts!
It's 60 gorgeous degrees outside (almost 70 by the time I left!), I've had coffee and yogurt (Greek, plain, with a tbsp honey, cacao nibs, coconut and a few raspberries) (ate about 1 hour prior to workout).
Plan: Walk/Run to gym (will serve as warmup)
Actual: Walked both ways
Exercises:
Leg Extension
Last week 45# 66s
This week 45# 77s
Leg Curl
Last week 40# 68s
This week 45# 93s
Chest Press
Last week 40# 93s
This week 45# 85s
Seated Row
Last week 40# 74s
This week 40# 76s
Shoulder Press
Last week 30# 58s
This week 35# 53s
Flexed Arm Hang
Last week 16.74s
This week 16.25s
Pretty good. Clearly, I should not have increased the shoulder press. I can't find my BBS copy (likely it's amongst the packed items) so I'm not sure when/how to increase weights, etc. I'll dig around on his site and see if I can find anything. And I'll post my workout there, as suggested by Jeff.
Have a great Sunday! (Go Buckeyes!!)
It's 60 gorgeous degrees outside (almost 70 by the time I left!), I've had coffee and yogurt (Greek, plain, with a tbsp honey, cacao nibs, coconut and a few raspberries) (ate about 1 hour prior to workout).
Plan: Walk/Run to gym (will serve as warmup)
Actual: Walked both ways
Exercises:
Leg Extension
Last week 45# 66s
This week 45# 77s
Leg Curl
Last week 40# 68s
This week 45# 93s
Chest Press
Last week 40# 93s
This week 45# 85s
Seated Row
Last week 40# 74s
This week 40# 76s
Shoulder Press
Last week 30# 58s
This week 35# 53s
Flexed Arm Hang
Last week 16.74s
This week 16.25s
Pretty good. Clearly, I should not have increased the shoulder press. I can't find my BBS copy (likely it's amongst the packed items) so I'm not sure when/how to increase weights, etc. I'll dig around on his site and see if I can find anything. And I'll post my workout there, as suggested by Jeff.
Have a great Sunday! (Go Buckeyes!!)
11.06.2009
Yoga, Above (and the way people drive)
Yoga last night. 75 minute class. Lots of twisting and hip work. I don't like twisting. The instructor said it "wrings you out." Really? Does she think my kidneys need to be wrung out ... or that they could ... or that it would be good for them? Yogis are weird. I got a little bit of that buzzing right at the end of class, during my favorite part where you just lay there. It didn't last very long but it was definitely there. A little bit of the CNS priming, eh? Some of those moves are pretty challenging (balance, strength, flexion), so it makes sense that you might work the old CNS.
I'm feeling pretty good and I haven't done even as much activity as I'd planned. It's a little unseasonably cold this week so the lunchtime walks have been short, if at all (plus work is busy - it always creeps into the free spaces). I've slept well most nights and been able to get up earlier most mornings (can't we just keep the time where it is? I mean, it's all fake anyway, just LEAVE IT and let me live with the sun, people!). I feel "above baseline" and feel like I'm getting more time in this mode -- which is exactly what Asclepius commented about: spend more time above baseline than below for real results.
I absent-mindedly ate legumes today -- green beans at lunch and peas in my veggie soup. Oops. I just can't shake the mindset that green beans = good for me. I know one day of beans won't kill me, but I am mad that I didn't think of it right away adn make a different choice. I've also been eating dairy - yogurt, kefir, and extra cream in the coffee (for the fat ... and the taste ... mmmm) and it seems fine so far. I will admit that I bought some "treats," nut clusters that had cane syrup in them - not much, but still, it was there. And a few bars made with only dates, nuts, and coconut, but still, the dates have a lot of natural sugars. The date bars keep me satisfied for approximately 23 minutes. Definitely not any kind of substantial nutrition. It's easy without a kitchen to turn to foods like this -- when you can't cook and you are hungry the bag of nut clusters sings out to you!! I won't buy them again, mommy, I promise.
I think the way people drive (and walk) says a lot about them. Pulling out in front of someone says "I don't care about anyone but me, I'm totally self-absorbed and the center of my world" as does crossing against a light with traffic right there ready to hit you. That also says "I'm totally stupid and maybe crazy."
I'm feeling pretty good and I haven't done even as much activity as I'd planned. It's a little unseasonably cold this week so the lunchtime walks have been short, if at all (plus work is busy - it always creeps into the free spaces). I've slept well most nights and been able to get up earlier most mornings (can't we just keep the time where it is? I mean, it's all fake anyway, just LEAVE IT and let me live with the sun, people!). I feel "above baseline" and feel like I'm getting more time in this mode -- which is exactly what Asclepius commented about: spend more time above baseline than below for real results.
I absent-mindedly ate legumes today -- green beans at lunch and peas in my veggie soup. Oops. I just can't shake the mindset that green beans = good for me. I know one day of beans won't kill me, but I am mad that I didn't think of it right away adn make a different choice. I've also been eating dairy - yogurt, kefir, and extra cream in the coffee (for the fat ... and the taste ... mmmm) and it seems fine so far. I will admit that I bought some "treats," nut clusters that had cane syrup in them - not much, but still, it was there. And a few bars made with only dates, nuts, and coconut, but still, the dates have a lot of natural sugars. The date bars keep me satisfied for approximately 23 minutes. Definitely not any kind of substantial nutrition. It's easy without a kitchen to turn to foods like this -- when you can't cook and you are hungry the bag of nut clusters sings out to you!! I won't buy them again, mommy, I promise.
I think the way people drive (and walk) says a lot about them. Pulling out in front of someone says "I don't care about anyone but me, I'm totally self-absorbed and the center of my world" as does crossing against a light with traffic right there ready to hit you. That also says "I'm totally stupid and maybe crazy."
11.03.2009
Up the Intensity!
Thanks to Chris at Conditioning Research, AGAIN!, for posting a clip of Patrick Diver from Greyhound Fitness doing some HIT workouts. I also have (in the past) watched some Dr. McGuff videos. They are a good reminder that this workout will work ONLY IF the intensity (LOAD and TUL) is through the roof. I can already tell I didn't lift enough weight. I need to really push it next session.
I'm still going to wait the seven days until my next session, but I will be going to yoga Thursday and walking tomorrow (I hope) so it won't all be couch potato city until then :) I also may take advantage of nice weather and get a short run in!
I went to bed around 9-9:30 last night and set the alarm for 5:15 -- shifting my schedule back about an hour. I felt great today. That is the better schedule for me - I wake up early anyway so why not shift to match my rhythm?? Too bad I blew it tonight -- it's already 10:30 (thanks to work). I have to hit the sack!
I'm still going to wait the seven days until my next session, but I will be going to yoga Thursday and walking tomorrow (I hope) so it won't all be couch potato city until then :) I also may take advantage of nice weather and get a short run in!
I went to bed around 9-9:30 last night and set the alarm for 5:15 -- shifting my schedule back about an hour. I felt great today. That is the better schedule for me - I wake up early anyway so why not shift to match my rhythm?? Too bad I blew it tonight -- it's already 10:30 (thanks to work). I have to hit the sack!
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