Exercise Goals for 2009

That's great news, George!

I am lacking motivation and stamina this week. Although I exercise daily, I feel
like being through the meet grinder. I think the culprit is chocolate! I've eaten
way too many German goodies and it slows me down like a set of Michelin tires around my waist.

I can't believe you've been overweight with all that running. Sure it's not muscle?

Still huzzah on the one more pound, you can do it!

Distance day today, it's now kind of ho-hum to have run a full two miles at 5 mph but a) it's nice that it's receding into ho-hum-ness and b) I felt better while running than I have in a couple of weeks.

I did the contacts, AND running alongside my friend, AND caffeine today, and all of that probably helped. (Especially the caffeine. Did you guys see this article?):

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/health/nutrition/26best.html

I think dealing with a couple of teenagers for a week is roughly the equivalent of being through a meat grinder -- has your guest left yet? (I seriously am always really worn out when I have houseguests for more than a day or two.)

Hah, I just realized that I wrote "meet" grinder - Freudian slip, as I feel like
having too many people around me. Yes, teenagers are a handful - especially
mine! My little German house guest is staying another week, and yes, it could
be the reason too why I feel so run down.

I am going to read the NYTimes article now...

Just read the article. Yes, that makes perfect sense that a caffeine boost will give you an added exercise benefit. I'll try it this afternoon: an espresso before exercising!

How'd it go? (Trying the espresso before exercising...)

Haven't checked in this week but had a normal week.

M= bike, weights, ball crunches. T = intervals, fastest 7.5 mph. W= off. R = elliptical, weights, ball crunches. F = two miles continuous running, 5.0 mph (got impatient during the last little bit and upped to 5.5 mph, seemed to go OK though I was definitely TIRED when I finished).

It does work, plus it gave me so much energy to burn - I even took the teenies
shopping without getting worn out.
In return, they joined me exercising and liked it (whaddoo ya know). It's been
a good week, mentally and physically. Tomorrow, we'll go up to L.A. and bid
the teen farewell again. The visit was better than I anticipated.

I'm trying to get myself swimming again.

The progress so far

Got up early last Saturday. Put on my swimsuit. Put on my sweats. Packed up a pool bag. Loaded shopping bags in car. Checked schedule again. Realized I was too early. Decided to do a little grocery shopping before I went to the pool (the store is over the train tracks from the community centre). Got the groceries - was packing them - I was attacked! by a former colleague - who had 1.5 hours of updates to give me. We talked through my pool time. I arrived just as pool time ended. Hmmmmm. Later that day I took the suit off, washed it, hung it up to dry.

Sunday morning, I did it all over again.

Got good use out of the suit without ever making it to the pool.

Oh well, the week before I never made it into the swimsuit.

This week SHOULD be better.

Mebbe noting it here will help.

CJane referred me to this thread. (I thought the BMI thread would be easier on me.) My goal: I currently weigh 220 pounds; I would prefer to weigh 190-195 pounds.

Hiya wandel,

How do you plan to get to 190-195 pounds?

Hey ehBeth, how's the swimming going?

Normal week for me this far -- elliptical, weights & ball crunches (3 sets/ 15) yesterday, and intervals today. I did my usual set of four quarter-mile intervals (6, 6.5, 7 and 6.5 mph respectively), but tried to keep my walking time between them short (.1 or .15 miles instead of the usual .25). I still didn't feel like I'd gotten a really good workout when I was finished, though, so I stuck another 8 mph interval on the end (stopped after .2 miles though, my ankle felt a little weird and I didn't want to push it).

Hi sozobe!

My only exercise lately has been taking walks. I really need to stop eating between meals. Sometimes I play badminton with my wife and daughter. I am not athletic. My best sport was volleyball.

Haven't made it to the pool. During the week, the only adult distance/masters swims are from 8:30 - 9:30 p.m. Not really a good option. Pool was closed for Easter weekend. Walked dogs extra. Will take them out again tonight.

Verra verra intense dance classes lately - we're working on Khaleegy - looks so mellow and then I ache for two days after each class. This reminds of the last time I went up a level. It took a while before it stopped hurting. I can't go back down a level because I'll be bored and won't push myself, so I have to keep on with the ouchies for a while.



(thanks for keeping me honest - I did manage to pick up a spare bathing suit on Saturday - that way, if I do get into a Saturday and Sunday morning routine, I won't have the "I only have one suit" excuse available)

Actually, eating between meals isn't the worst thing in the world, so long as it's low cal wholesome stuff and you dial back the meals accordingly. Fruit is a good in between snack, handful of nuts, that kinda thing.

Walking is good exercise. Here are some ways to kick it up (they're talking about a treadmill but the same idea applies):
http://www.ehow.com/how_4541354_burn-more-calories-treadmill.html

Ah there is wandel! Get into some exercise with us, and you lose the extra
pounds in no time. Walking is a good start! I snack too - I've learned to take
the healthy kind though, like celery sticks with peanut butter or a yoghurt.

Today was my first exercise day in 3 days! Saturday we went up to Los Angeles,
Sunday was Easter and yesterday school started and we were too busy for anything, but today was my day: 17 min on the treadmill running, 13 min brisk
walking, 20 min bike, 15 min weights. Feels so great to have done something!

Thanks for the advice, CJane and Jespah. I will keep trying.

Heaven help me, I've signed up for the Corporate Challenge. It's my first race.

It's 3.5 miles, on Thursday, June 25th at 7 PM. I estimate my time (I will walk for about 99% of the race) will be between 1 hr and 1 1/2 hrs.

https://register.jpmorganchasecc.com/chasecc/jp_reg.tcl?id=36433

That's great, jespah. You go girl, we're rooting for you!!

Spare bathing suit = good.

Up a level in dancing = also good!

Yeah, I remember when I took ballet that the simplest-seeming things could be the ouchiest. (Just plain keeping your arms up for hoursandhours... whoa.)


Go Jes!

I'm thinking of doing a race too -- Columbus' "Race For the Cure." It's huge, and my friend track/gym-mom did it last year and is encouraging me to do it with her this year. Only 5 K, I think I *could* but am not sure what I think, knee-wise. (One thing I lovelovelove about the treadmills, I've been pretty much ache-and-pain free, just keep upping speed and distance.)

Rue Peel rises steeply from Rue Sherbrooke to Avenue des Pins in
Montreal and it feels steeper every time I jog it. I had left the
hotel early Tuesday morning, jogged the half mile along Sherbrooke to
Peel, and turned right. Rue Peel is flanked by solid gray stone
buildings once the homes of Scottish industrial barons and now mostly
owned by McGill University. There was an infectious spirit of
strength, tenacity, and self-determination in the architecture. I am
the captain of my soul and the taskmaster of my thighs. Feeling
righteous and sucking wind, I made it to des Pins.

Across des Pins is the start of the serpentine gravel road that snakes
through Parc Mont-Royal. It's still an uphill grind, but the road
traverses the side of the hill -- the mountain, as Montrealers call it
-- and so it's not as steep. The park is a jewel of urban green space
laid out by Frederick Law Olmstead, the same fellow who designed New
York's Central Park and Boston's Emerald Necklace.

A couple of miles later I was at the Krondiak Belvidere, an overlook
from which I could see the city of Montreal, the St. Lawrence River
and some pale blue mountains in the distance. It was a lovely sight
made lovelier by having worked hard to see it. I turned and headed
back, taking a loop around Lac aux Castors (Beaver Lake), a pond with
gulls but no beavers. About half the surface was still coverd with
ice.

By the time I got back to the hotel, I had run a little over six
miles. I was ready for breakfast.

Hooray, on all accounts!

Montreal is beautiful, I'd like to go back.

(Is that what castor oil is??)