Monday, January 28, 2013

Working out when I'm too busy to blog

Jan 24
177.9
14:25, 500 m swim

Had just enough time to squeeze in a quick swim.  Muscles were tired and sluggish today, but swimming and a quick soak in the hot tub made them feel much better.

Jan 25
30:00, elliptical
10:00, rowing
2 sets leg machines

Pushed harder than usual on cardio today.  Wanted to quit after about 25 minutes on the elliptical, but pushed through it. Great workout, worked up a decent sweat.

Jan 26
Up most of the night with sick kids, so exhausted by the time I left work. Just stayed home and cuddled with the kiddos.

Jan 27
31:50, 1.9 mile walk/run with Seth
5:00 rowing
2 sets lifting

Good workout.  Seth and I would walk 2 laps, run 1.  He is getting faster but doesn't have the cardio endurance yet for longer runs.  So proud of him for making this change.

I felt strong on the lifting and I like the changes I am seeing in the mirror.  My tummy is stubbornly hanging on, but I can see the changes in muscle definition in my arms and legs and I know I am getting stronger.

Today
176.4
25:47, 2 mile run

It was 70 degrees today!  Just had time to squeeze in a quick 2 miler at the park before we had to pick up the kindergartner and I had to get to work.  It was weird to run in such warm weather, found myself getting thirsty which normally doesn't happen on such short runs.

Felt good to get out and run without anything holding me back.  I wish I would have had the time to drive down to Thunderbird for a trail run, but with only one working car at the moment, I am restricted by the kid's school schedules.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Much better day

177.9
31:06, 2 miles walk/run intervals with Seth
2 sets lifting, heavier than usual

Right before I went to work out I read a news article that made me very happy and pumped me up to work out. 

I really enjoyed running and walking with Seth again.  1:1 split of running and walking laps left him with pain in his side, so we went to 1:2 which seemed to work better.   I was sore from yesterday's class, but it felt excellent to run and I found myself running faster than usual.  Just happy and motivated I guess.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

My quiet voice

Today could be called a bad day: car dying, husband not getting the job we were hoping for, starting to feel sick.  Just not a great day. 

My headache started to get better after I ate a highly nutritious dinner of Frito Chili Pie, so I sucked it up and went to the gym for the "boot camp" class.

The exercises felt harder than usual.  I wanted to quit, or puke, or both.  But I did neither, rather I stuck it out and pushed on to the end.  It wasn't glorious, I didn't feel mighty or victorious.

In all honesty, I came home and cried for a bit. But then I picked my self back up off the floor and picked up my fitness journal.  Every time you make yourself go to the gym and don't give up is worth recording, even if it wasn't great or heroic.

And then I wrote down my problems and how I was feeling, cause you know what?  They don't seem as bad when they are on paper.

Then I flipped to my favorite section in my fitness journal, the "Inspirations" tab.


Courage doesn't always roar.
Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying,
"I will try again tomorrow."

Mary Anne Radmacher
Today was rough, a kick in the gut that knocked a lot of air out of my plans.  But tomorrow I will get back up and face the day with courage and determination.  Plans rarely work out the way you want, but you can still keep aiming for your objective.
 

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Oh what a glorious day!

37:39, 3 miles

After 4 days of not being able to exercise (lots of dental pain + pain meds, followed by a root canal), today proved to be a glorious comeback.  I had planned to go to the gym after work, but it was 65 degrees and beautiful sunshine when I left work.  It would have been criminal to workout inside on such an amazing day in January! 

So I hurried home, changed and grabbed the family and took them to Little River Park in Moore.  It was so beautiful and I couldn't help but smile at the freedom of running outside in the sunshine.  Having done so little running in the past months, and having missed out on my normal exercise, I was surprised at my pace.  This was the furthest I have run since Nov 13, yet I finished it almost a minute and a half faster and felt great the whole time. 

So refreshing to have this breath of fresh sunshine in the middle of all the cold gloominess of January.

In other news, I was unable to find my Garmin before my run so the house will be turned upside down in the near future because that will just never do.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

January craziness at the gym

176.4
29:00, 5.51 miles exercise bike
3 sets leg machines

Went to the Earlywine YMCA today, hoping to do elliptical and legs.  The gym was so busy that the only spot I could find on the cardio machines was an exercise bicycle, so pedaling it was!

Oh well, you get in the workouts that you can when you can.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

My new favorite run

174.4
27:39, 2.18 miles on indoor track
2 sets lifting

I was still sore from earlier this week, but I couldn't stop smiling on my run today. 

Seth had come up to the track so he could do my walking laps with me.  I always enjoy having him up there, even though he walks slower than I like.  But then at the end of my first lap Seth decided he wanted to try running a lap with me.  Seth is the anti-runner and always spends his time at the gym walking calmly on the treadmills while he watches Pawn Stars.  But today he ran. 

I would run 3 laps and then take 1 walking lap.  Seth would walk with me and then run the first lap after that with me.  And he was quick too, running at about an 11:00/mile pace!  I just kept smiling every time I would look over at him running beside me.  I may just make him a runner yet.  And nothing would make me happier.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Being sore means you're doing something right

Yesterday:
176.8
28:14, 1000 meter swim

You know you're getting your money's worth out of your gym when you are too sore and tired to blog about it!

Tuesday's "boot camp" class left me with a healthy soreness in my legs, glutes and abs, but not as severely as I had feared.  So we took the family swimming so I could take advantage of the hot tub at the Norman YMCA to help loosed back up. 

After a short soak to soften the stiff muscles I lucked out and was able to find a lane all to myself!  The one downside to the Norman YMCA is that the popularity of its pool can mean a wait time to even get to share a lane. 

I was having a great swim, hardly feeling stiff. I turned at the end of a lap and freaked out when I touched flesh!  I had been underwater and checking the lap time on my watch and had not noticed that another swimmer had put their legs in the water on side of the lane.  I'm not sure if it was more startling or embarrassing.

I had a good swim and was happy with how well I did, finishing 2:18 faster than last time I swam that far, especially in light of the intensity of the previous 2 workouts.

By the time I made it home I was worn out.  I laid down on the couch and didn't get back up until Seth finally sent me to bed at 7:30.  I was so tired that I had my kid bring me my fitness journal so I record my time, and there was no way I was walking all the way over to the computer to blog about it.

Today I am extra sore in my legs.  In fact, I think it might be a good idea to call for a rest day (gasp!).  Definitely would be a good night to use the foam roller and stretch.