Back at it

Distance: 2.2 miles
Time: 35:00
Terrain: Treadmill with variable incline

I’m back in the saddle and I had a great run today! I was definitely a little worried because I think I bruised my ribs last weekend and they’ve been bothering me when I exercise too strenuously. Surprisingly, today was a good day. I was able to do a little incline work, which I really like for firming the booty and getting a good sweat on, but I really need to work on my post-run routine at the gym. I sort of have a stretching/abs thing I do but I think I would benefit from a little more structure. Maybe I can find a good ap to help me out.

I’ve sort of been following a Zero-10K program to help keep myself motivated but it only really works up to a point for me. I need to figure out a way to keep my mind occupied so I can push through my 2 mile boredom barrier. I’ve heard podcasts are a good way to pass the time, I’ll have to find some good ones for my android.

Guess who’s back!

Wow! It’s really been over 2 years since I last kept up with this blog, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been exercising! It’s definitely been a crazy 2 years. I realized that too many things in my life were dead ends so I turned around and found a new path. I’m now a full-time student, part-time wage-slave, single and happier than I’ve been maybe, ever.

I’m going to make a concerted effort to keep up with this blog again, if anything, just to keep myself writing. I might write about running or yoga or some new recipe I’m trying, but whatever it is, I’ll try to keep it interesting.

Jumping back on the wagon

Distance: 2 miles

Time: 38 Min

Terrain: Treadmill with variable incline

A weekend of gorging on seafood, milkshakes, cupcakes, fast food, mindless car-snacking and a combined 30+ hours in a car has given me the motivation to get back on the treadmill. I’ve had a really hard time getting motivated to exercise, unless it’s swimming where my mom just tells me to get ready. Since getting my iphone I’ve been thinking about getting a C25K app to help me with my training. While searching for the perfect running app I stumbled upon Lolo Burn, (sidebar: the name makes me giggle because Lolo means grandpa in Tagalog) a training app that is supposed to provide an interactive and adaptive workout plan, keep you motivated and keep track of your calories burned. I tried it out today and so far it seems like a pretty cool app. You input your age, fitness level, and type of workout (walk, walk-jog, run) as well as whether you’re on a treadmill or outside and a workout is customized for you. You get instructions from a friendly female voice for the incline and speed to set the treadmill at and you match your pace to that of the music.  I especially like the little motivational words of wisdom. My favorite so far: “This is the time that you set aside for yourself. Make the most of it!”

I definitely got a good workout and I’m looking forward to my next session. I think I’ll plan to run the Strides for Life in October. It’s 4 miles and only 6 weeks away but I figure even if I walk half, at least it’s a start.

Just keep swimming!

Since mom and I have passed on Bikram yoga we needed to find something to fill the exercise void. Mom was quite the swimmer in her day and she has the scuba certification to prove it. I, however, have never been a strong swimmer. I can swim but I was never a lap swimmer. I’ve always been a jump-into-the-deep-end-and-splash-around-swimmer. We’ve gone a couple of times in the last two weeks and so far I like it waaaay better than Bikram. It’s actually a fun way to get some exercise. Imagine that!

I can’t really swim freestyle anymore so I switch off between the froggy kick and elementary backstroke (monkey, airplane, soldier!). When my arms get tired I use a kickboard. We’re doing about 30 min worth of laps with little breaks in between each one. I’m hoping once I get my endurance up a little that I’ll be able to work on my technique then maybe I’ll be able to graduate from the slow lane!

Also, thought I’d mention that as of late my blog has become more of a fitness blog than a running blog and that’s OK. I do plan on getting back to running and I still really want to run a marathon eventually but as of now I’m doing it more casually. Maybe next year I’ll get into the Nike Women’s Marathon if not, maybe Disneyworld!

Two Months Later…

So it’s been two months of bikram yoga, not two months of bikram yoga three times a week like we originally planned, but Mom and I have been going fairly regularly. There have been good days where we’ve done every pose and took no breaks, and bad days where we huff and puff and feel like running out of the room. I had a bad day this week. The heat was oppressive, there was no relief. I started to panic. I managed to make it through the class, but I had to take several breaks and I drank my entire bottle of water. Today it was nearly as bad. All I could think was “Please open the window! It’s so hot! I hate this!”

Somehow I managed to push through but at the end of class, when I discovered that Mom had a similar near panic attack, I suggested that we forgo the self-inflicted torture and find a style of yoga that better suits our desire for enjoyable exercise. So that’s it. Our two month groupon is all used up and we’re choosing not to continue with Bikram. I wish I could say it was fun while it lasted.

Yoga for Masochists

So I haven’t been doing any running lately. However, my mom and I have recently started Bikram Yoga. My mom has been wanting to try yoga for quite a while, she has a lot of back problems and has gotten some advice (from me) that yoga might help. The reason we decided to go the Bikram route was because I happened to see a groupon for 25 classes for $25, which is pretty unbeatable. For those of you that don’t know, Bikram yoga is otherwise known as Hot Yoga. The room is heated to a nearly unbearable 105 degrees and you go through a series of 26 poses over the course of 1.5 hours. Needless to say, it’s more of a mental endurance test than anything. It’s very, very tough. The instructors are a little Nazi-ish in class, there’s a very specific “dialogue” that they go through every time but I’m sure they’re really nice in the real world.

We’ve managed to get through 3 classes without passing out or needing to leave the room, but not without sitting down. They promise us that it does get easier, the poses at least. The heat is something that always remains a challenge. I wish I had before and after pictures, maybe we’ll take those next time.

Excuses, excuses

So I’ve totally fallen off the running wagon. Last week I was in a car/out of town/attending a funeral and wasn’t able to fit in any running. I brought my shoes and workout clothes and  everything but it just didn’t happen. Or I guess I should say I didn’t make it happen. While I was away, there was a major layoff at work. Nearly a third of Myx was let go and some of my favorite people are now out of a job. It was tough to be away from my friends during such a dark time but part of me was glad that I wasn’t there.

This week has been a nightmare at work. The entire day Monday was devoted to “team building” for our newly slimmed down department. Basically my bullshit detector was going off the whole day. I’ve also been put in charge of ticketing for Myx Mash, our upcoming concert. It seems like it should be a pretty easy job, just maintaining the will call list and the comps, but there was no system at all! All of the lists don’t even exist, just a string of emails and random documents. I’m totally playing catch up and trying to make sense of all the information that’s floating around. I’m so exhausted by the end of the day that I can barely drive myself home let alone run a couple miles.

I know, I know, I’m super lame for falling off so soon. I signed up for the San Jose Kidney Walk on June 5. It’s 5k and I’m hoping to be able to jog the whole thing. I’m going to pick up my training again on Saturday. I think a nice jog by the beach along Great highway will breathe some new life into my training program.