179.2
30 minutes elliptical
25 minutes lifting/upper body (2 sets)
10 minutes steam room
Today was a ridiculously long day: I worked 9 hours, then went to a community forum, and then put in a real workout at the gym. No corners cut. Full energy.
I feel really good about my workout. I did my best and was able to put in a lot more energy than I thought I even had to give. By the end of the workout my quads, biceps and back had all taken their turns yelling at me, which means I must be doing something right.
The steam room has become my reward again. I value those 10 minutes of quiet and rest. So much of my day is spent on the move, with constant demands on my attention, and now with the weather change, I'm a little cold all day long. But in the steam room I get to be alone and warm. Ahh.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Is that how you want to be remembered?
37:45, 3 miles on inside track
2 sets of leg machines
10:00 steam room
10:00 ice bath
Today at the gym my husband decided to walk on the track so he could be there to encourage me and to walk with me when I took my walking breaks. I'm glad he did.
Running on the track can be challenging: I tend to go out faster and without scenery it is more of a mental challenge as well. I was doing pretty well, but about about a half mile from my goal I pulled up beside Seth and said, "I think I am going to cheat and just walk this lap." Seth looked at me and said, "Is that how you want to be remembered?" Grrr! He knows me so well and knows just how to push my buttons! I was mad enough to swear, but I used it to run again and finish my 3 miles strong. He's right, I don't want to be remembered as someone who takes it easy, who quits when it hurts. I am doing this for me, and I am the one who gets cheated when I do less than my best.
After exhausting myself on the track I went to the weight room and did the leg machines. It was hard! My legs had already been working for 38 minutes and they didn't want to do any more. The leg extensions and glute workouts where especially hard, but I am glad that I did them. It was a workout that I could feel proud of.
I headed to the steam room and enjoyed my reward of 10 warm minutes of relaxation. But I could tell that my legs had pushed harder than I have in a while and so we picked up a couple bags of ice on the way home. It had been quite a while since I have taken ice baths, but I climbed into the tub wearing my hoodie and read Runner's World while I tried to ignore the lower half of my body.
2 sets of leg machines
10:00 steam room
10:00 ice bath
Today at the gym my husband decided to walk on the track so he could be there to encourage me and to walk with me when I took my walking breaks. I'm glad he did.
Running on the track can be challenging: I tend to go out faster and without scenery it is more of a mental challenge as well. I was doing pretty well, but about about a half mile from my goal I pulled up beside Seth and said, "I think I am going to cheat and just walk this lap." Seth looked at me and said, "Is that how you want to be remembered?" Grrr! He knows me so well and knows just how to push my buttons! I was mad enough to swear, but I used it to run again and finish my 3 miles strong. He's right, I don't want to be remembered as someone who takes it easy, who quits when it hurts. I am doing this for me, and I am the one who gets cheated when I do less than my best.
After exhausting myself on the track I went to the weight room and did the leg machines. It was hard! My legs had already been working for 38 minutes and they didn't want to do any more. The leg extensions and glute workouts where especially hard, but I am glad that I did them. It was a workout that I could feel proud of.
I headed to the steam room and enjoyed my reward of 10 warm minutes of relaxation. But I could tell that my legs had pushed harder than I have in a while and so we picked up a couple bags of ice on the way home. It had been quite a while since I have taken ice baths, but I climbed into the tub wearing my hoodie and read Runner's World while I tried to ignore the lower half of my body.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Grumble grumble grumble
12:00 rowing machine
2 sets lifting
I had a bad morning- stressed about report cards, frustrated at finances, and angry that I couldn't find the pair of jeans I wanted to wear to work (which also cut into my workout time).
Generally a good upper body work out will burn off any aggression and leave me feeling stronger, but today it only seemed to amplify all that negativity. I was even more frustrated because I was going to work mad, which is not fair to those around me. But here's the thing, I like my job and I love my coworkers, and within 30 minutes they had completely lifted my spirits.
2 sets lifting
I had a bad morning- stressed about report cards, frustrated at finances, and angry that I couldn't find the pair of jeans I wanted to wear to work (which also cut into my workout time).
Generally a good upper body work out will burn off any aggression and leave me feeling stronger, but today it only seemed to amplify all that negativity. I was even more frustrated because I was going to work mad, which is not fair to those around me. But here's the thing, I like my job and I love my coworkers, and within 30 minutes they had completely lifted my spirits.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Dead leg running
181.4
21:47, 1.61 mile run
3 sets of leg machines
Today was long and I wore high heeled boots all day, so by the time I got home from work at a quarter till 7 my toes were crying and I was spent. So after dinner I went to the gym.
There was no energy left in my legs, but I willed them to keep moving in a running like manner. My pecs and biceps were sore from yesterday's workout so even my upper body was complaining at me. I told them to shut up and let me run. Despite my body's protestations, I enjoyed my run. It was the first time I had ever done the outdoor running track at the Earlywine YMCA, and I could feel the changes coming in the weather. I just enjoyed moving, feeling like I am going to make it somewhere. And my brain seems to enjoy running too. I don't know if it is the rhythm of it all, the solitude, the break from normal life, or just the happy work out chemicals, but running almost always leaves me feeling better than when I started (although euphoric "runner's high" is not usual for me).
After forcing my legs to run, I further continued my self torture/training by heading inside the gym for the leg machines. The first 2 sets of each machine were not that hard, but man did I have to focus my will power to muscle through the 3rd set!
Part of what helped me about halfway through my run was imagining who/where I want to be. Sometimes that backfires and I end up feeling more down because of how far it is and bemoan how I will never get there, etc. But for some reason my optimism seems to have returned and I once again feel like I am moving in the right direction. On the way home from the gym I decided to set a ridiculously big goal: I want to weigh 150 pounds on my 29th birthday. That's just over 18 weeks to lose 31 pounds. Is that too crazy? Maybe, but I started this journey as I neared my 25th birthday with a goal of reaching 155, and its about time I got to where I am going.
21:47, 1.61 mile run
3 sets of leg machines
Today was long and I wore high heeled boots all day, so by the time I got home from work at a quarter till 7 my toes were crying and I was spent. So after dinner I went to the gym.
There was no energy left in my legs, but I willed them to keep moving in a running like manner. My pecs and biceps were sore from yesterday's workout so even my upper body was complaining at me. I told them to shut up and let me run. Despite my body's protestations, I enjoyed my run. It was the first time I had ever done the outdoor running track at the Earlywine YMCA, and I could feel the changes coming in the weather. I just enjoyed moving, feeling like I am going to make it somewhere. And my brain seems to enjoy running too. I don't know if it is the rhythm of it all, the solitude, the break from normal life, or just the happy work out chemicals, but running almost always leaves me feeling better than when I started (although euphoric "runner's high" is not usual for me).
After forcing my legs to run, I further continued my self torture/training by heading inside the gym for the leg machines. The first 2 sets of each machine were not that hard, but man did I have to focus my will power to muscle through the 3rd set!
Part of what helped me about halfway through my run was imagining who/where I want to be. Sometimes that backfires and I end up feeling more down because of how far it is and bemoan how I will never get there, etc. But for some reason my optimism seems to have returned and I once again feel like I am moving in the right direction. On the way home from the gym I decided to set a ridiculously big goal: I want to weigh 150 pounds on my 29th birthday. That's just over 18 weeks to lose 31 pounds. Is that too crazy? Maybe, but I started this journey as I neared my 25th birthday with a goal of reaching 155, and its about time I got to where I am going.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Not there yet, but I like where I'm heading!
181.4
15:00 rowing machine
19 minutes lifting/upper body, 2 sets
13:00 steam room
I was sore today from the trail run, but not nearly as sore as I had feared. Like a junkie I wanted more endorphins so I headed to the gym this evening for my next fix. I had a great workout tonight in spite of my soreness. I was able to find my rhythm on the rowing machine and probably could have rowed longer, but I wanted to make sure I get in some good weight lifting too.
The weights were crowded this evening so I had to mix up my order based on what was available when. I upped some of the weight and reps and did well. I felt strong and pushed my arms just far enough.
Its been a while since I have been able to stay in the steam room very long, but tonight went better. Its so warm and almost comforting at times. I listened to opera and just tried to relax and do some light stretching. I think some of the tightness that has been plaguing me lately loosened up a bit which would be excellent.
I am proud of tonight's workout and I genuinely enjoyed it. It hurt just the right amount and I didn't take any soft excuses from myself. If I can churn out more runs like yesterday and workouts like this evening (and turn away from the desserts!) then I can reach my goals and be who I want to be. Such a nice change to feel like I am moving closer instead of getting farther from achievement.
15:00 rowing machine
19 minutes lifting/upper body, 2 sets
13:00 steam room
I was sore today from the trail run, but not nearly as sore as I had feared. Like a junkie I wanted more endorphins so I headed to the gym this evening for my next fix. I had a great workout tonight in spite of my soreness. I was able to find my rhythm on the rowing machine and probably could have rowed longer, but I wanted to make sure I get in some good weight lifting too.
The weights were crowded this evening so I had to mix up my order based on what was available when. I upped some of the weight and reps and did well. I felt strong and pushed my arms just far enough.
Its been a while since I have been able to stay in the steam room very long, but tonight went better. Its so warm and almost comforting at times. I listened to opera and just tried to relax and do some light stretching. I think some of the tightness that has been plaguing me lately loosened up a bit which would be excellent.
I am proud of tonight's workout and I genuinely enjoyed it. It hurt just the right amount and I didn't take any soft excuses from myself. If I can churn out more runs like yesterday and workouts like this evening (and turn away from the desserts!) then I can reach my goals and be who I want to be. Such a nice change to feel like I am moving closer instead of getting farther from achievement.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Running slowly in the woods (with a camera)
181.4
1:56:27, 6.16 mile trail run
 |
| Map of Clear Bay trails |
 |
| It was so rainy and humid that at first the lens kept fogging |
 |
| It's a mountain bike trail, so sometimes the incline is intense |
 |
| 1st view of Lake Thunderbird on Blue Loop |
 |
| Blue Loop |
Today my legs were tired, and I lacked speed even more than usual. But the upside to being slow is that you have more time to enjoy the scenery.
 |
| Whitetails are hard to photograph without a zoom! |
 |
| About half way done, one of my favorite spots |
 |
| Watching the clouds roll away |
At about mile 3 the rain stopped and the clouds started to clear. Beautiful sight, but it made the day get hot and muggy, slowing me down a bit more. But I was having a blast and had found that elusive and mythical "runner's high"- why else would I still be grinning like an idiot after running 5 miles up and down uneven terrain?!
 |
| Mile 5.3 |
The woods seem almost magical at times. The light coming through the leaves amplifying the already beautiful colors. Today I had the woods entirely to myself, the most recent tracks on the trail were from deer. For the whole 2 hours I was in the woods I didn't see or hear a single human being, and that feels so good in today's hectic world.
 |
| Following in the foot steps of the deer |
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| Some stats from my Garmin Forerunner 305 |
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| I like charts too! |
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| Garmin's Training Center is a bit confused, I don't actually run underwater |
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Leisurely weekend
181.4
Friday: walking and roller skating
Saturday: working 8 hours then walking
Sunday: working 6.5 hours then walking
"Just walking" is exhausting.
Friday we took the kids to the Science Museum Oklahoma and walked all over that place! The kids had a blast and after 5 hours there, I was ready for a nap! I didn't get a chance for one though because that evening was a friend's birthday party, which was also a blast. We even went roller skating, which was extra exhausting because the kid's didn't know how, so we got a double workout just keeping them on their feet. Crawled into bed and fell asleep as soon as we got home.
Saturday I had to work a full day. Unfortunately we were down a (wo)man due to illness so we had to work 50% harder to keep up with the load. I spent half the day on my feet, bending and turning. I was bone weary by the time 5:00 came around. After work I rushed home, scarfed down some spaghetti and took Annmarie with me to Light the Night. It was such a nice night and I enjoyed the walk, but it sure felt longer than a mile!
I worked again today, and again we were a man down so 50% more. I never even sat down at my desk! This evening was really pleasant and we went to meet my parents at Bricktown for dinner. We forgot about the mass inconvenience that is the OKC Thunder and ended up having to park on the far side of Bass Pro. We walked to dinner then walked to get frozen yogurt for dessert then walked back along the canal to go home. It was a really great evening and I enjoyed walking and visiting with my family.
Such a busy weekend with so much activity, no time for a formal workout, and yet utterly exhausting. I am hoping that next week I can create and stick with a workout plan other than "just stand all day."
Friday: walking and roller skating
Saturday: working 8 hours then walking
Sunday: working 6.5 hours then walking
"Just walking" is exhausting.
Friday we took the kids to the Science Museum Oklahoma and walked all over that place! The kids had a blast and after 5 hours there, I was ready for a nap! I didn't get a chance for one though because that evening was a friend's birthday party, which was also a blast. We even went roller skating, which was extra exhausting because the kid's didn't know how, so we got a double workout just keeping them on their feet. Crawled into bed and fell asleep as soon as we got home.
Saturday I had to work a full day. Unfortunately we were down a (wo)man due to illness so we had to work 50% harder to keep up with the load. I spent half the day on my feet, bending and turning. I was bone weary by the time 5:00 came around. After work I rushed home, scarfed down some spaghetti and took Annmarie with me to Light the Night. It was such a nice night and I enjoyed the walk, but it sure felt longer than a mile!
I worked again today, and again we were a man down so 50% more. I never even sat down at my desk! This evening was really pleasant and we went to meet my parents at Bricktown for dinner. We forgot about the mass inconvenience that is the OKC Thunder and ended up having to park on the far side of Bass Pro. We walked to dinner then walked to get frozen yogurt for dessert then walked back along the canal to go home. It was a really great evening and I enjoyed walking and visiting with my family.
Such a busy weekend with so much activity, no time for a formal workout, and yet utterly exhausting. I am hoping that next week I can create and stick with a workout plan other than "just stand all day."
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