Well today's been pretty uneventful at work so far. I've been seriously considering starting some laser hair removal treatments through American Laser Centers (I got a really good deal through some event I went to with a friend and it's something I've been really wanting to do for a while), so I've been spending some time trying to look through the reviews. Only the office I was going to go to doesn't seem to have many good reviews online. So now I'm not so sure again. If I end up going through with it, I'll let yall know how it goes.
Watched last night's episode of No Ordinary Family on my lunch break today. It's one of several shows that I'm following now. lol. During the off weeks for my normal shows, when I don't have anything else to catch up on over lunch I start just looking around online at what else looks interesting, then I always end up watching from the beginning, getting all caught up, and next thing you know by the time the seasons are starting back up, I've found myself another show that I'm "following". Here's my current list:
Desperate Housewives
Grey's Anatomy
Private Practice
One Tree Hill
No Ordinary Family
Vampire Diaries
Hellcats
V
The Event
America's Next Top Model (when it's in season)
*I also watched the whole of Ugly Betty
*I have now started watching Cougar Town online, though I'm not quite up to speed yet
I think that's everything. Sad, huh? Assuming I waste an hour on each of those shows (among other one-offs) each week, look how many hours a week I could be doing something productive? Checking off one of those many items you've all seen several times on my "do this more" lists.
I guess we all have our vices though. One of mine is stories. It's why when I'm not watching tv, most of the time I'm reading. Once I start, I just can't stop. I have to know what happens. It sucks when I start a book or a movie and realize very quickly that I don't like the story, cuz even then I can't put it down. I have to see it through to the end! It's why, no offense to whoever I'm hanging out with, if we're watching a movie or a show, if you start talking I'm going to pause and/or rewind when you're done. It's why I refuse to use the bathroom during movies. I hate the idea of missing some part of the story! (That makes me sound really lame when I put it out there like that. Oh well, if I can't be myself here....)
But anyways, yes, that is time that could be well spent doing other things. Baking, painting, taking a walk, taking pictures. I am going to make one baby step though, and thanks to my friend who already got one and loves it, I'm going to get a Gazelle I think. And no, I'm not talking some animal you see while on safari in Africa. I'm talking about that cheesy exercise machine you saw all the infomercials for back in the 90s or whenever it was. I figure if I can keep that down in the basement and whenever I'm watching a movie or tv, rather than sitting on my butt, I can do this instead and at least do a little bit of exercising.
Speaking of which, this is another I'm guilty of being an all or nothing perfectionist in the past. So instead I'm currently following/putting together a bit of a mishmash routine. lol. Besides the Gazelle I hope to get with my next pay check, I've been working out with one of my roommates ocassionally. She wanted to start P90X together. Our schedules don't match up very often though, so so far I've really only worked out with her a handful of times. But as she's doing at my house (as opposed to when I was doing it with my other friend last year and had to drive over to her place and back everyday for it) it'll be fairly simple for me to join her when I'm able to- some mornings, some afternoons.
And lastly, I think I'm going to join a gym. I've been hesitant to do so, as it would be another monthly expense. Especially when I thought I'd be doing P90X every day again. But since that's turning out not to be everyday.... my other roommate had a free pass for a friend to go with her to LA Fitness the other day, so I went swimming with her, and o...m...g! So much fun! It was so relaxing to get in the water and just do my own thing for 40 minutes. And it's go so many other advantages! First off, swimming is just great exercise in general. It's also high resistance due to the water, but at the same time less of an impact when it comes to things like shin splints and stuff. It also has the added benefit that I don't get all hot and sweaty and yucky. Do I shower afterwards, yes- but to get rid of the chlorine. Not because I feel gross. And I'm not wanting to quit after a few minutes cuz I'm just so dang hot and uncomfortable! So just that alone was enough to convince me join. But besides access to an indoor lap pool, I'll also be able to take classes (I've been thinking about a bike/spinning class) AND John is a member of LA Fitness, so we can have work out dates! How dorky but fun does that sound? I think that all of that warrants enough reasons to justify the $30 or so a month, right? (Plus, I think Emory employees get a discount.)
So that's my hodge-podge workout regimen. It's better than nothing.
Tonight I'm off to hang out with Sunny after work. I've decided to take her out to dinner on Wednesdays when I watch her to make it seem more like real sister hang out time as opposed to babysitting. I thought maybe she'd feel kind of cool if instead of sitting at home at the kitchen table reviewing her homework over a plate of Hamburger Helper, we got dinner out then headed over to Starbucks for some hot chocolate and studied there instead.
PS- Davey- if you happen to read this, don't forget to wish Dad a happy birthday today!!!! :)
Showing posts with label p90x. Show all posts
Showing posts with label p90x. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Another attempt
So here I am again. Umm..... about 3 months after my last blog? Anyways, this will consist of whatever brief update I have time for in the 10 minutes before dinner is ready. Prepare for a random list, but hopefully I'll expand on several items in later posts.
~I finished P90X- kind of wimped out at the end, but then I did a month-long boot camp: an hour workout at 5:45am 5 days a week. It kicked my butt in a good way. I'm currently on an exercise hiatus, lol. Hoping to start running either during lunch (I found a shower at work I can use) or after work sometime soon.
~John and I got all dressed up and went to the fabulous Fox theater to see the Phantom of the Opera's farewell tour. One of my favorites!!! It was wonderful. I cried at the end like always!
~I've signed the non-renewal form at my current apartment complex and am looking forward to moving into a new place- I've figured out the complex, I just have to decide on the unit, but I think after today I'm much closer to a decision.
~I have actually baked ONE item since going on and on about how excited I was to get into that! It wasn't anything out of any of my new cookbooks, however. It was a German Chocolate Cake for John's birthday :) We celebrated with his family one weekend during a family reunion at Brosnan Forest in SC, and then the next weekend he and I celebrated with a trip to the Stone Mountain Laser show, a behinds the scene tour at the Ga Aquarium, lunch at the Sundial restaurant down town, and then with a surprise party at my place! I think it all went over very well :)
Mom- I still owe you a banana cake. Don't worry- you'll get it soon!
~I have also started a couple paintings. There's not much there yet, but there are 2 fewer blank canvases sitting in my apartment at this moment, so that's a start!
~I recently co-founded a book club with some of my friends. Our first meeting is scheduled for middle of next month. For our first meeting we'll be reading The Wildwater Walking Club. I've also started reading a book my friend lent me, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. So far I'm loving it!
~I'm currently trying to figure out whether I want to continue down the path I had laid out for myself school/career wise, or if I want to try a different yellow-brick-road. I'm leaning toward the latter, I just have to figure out the details. Definitely more on that to come later.
~John's family unfortunately saw each other again not too long after that same family reunion mentioned above. His grandfather passed away unexpectedly and I went with him and his siblings down to the funeral in Savannah. The ceremony was a beautiful celebration of Ryan Garner's life. I'm sad I didn't get a chance to know him better or play that game of one-on-one Scrabble, but I can testify that he was a man that believed in hard work and loved his wife and his family and the Lord above all else. He will be missed but remembered fondly for a very long time.
~I'm still enjoying my church small group. I also recently attended a 4 week leadership program through the church. We heard different speakers on what it means to be a spiritual leader, got to find out what kind of leader we are and were given the opportunity to sign up for various leadership roles within the volunteer community at the church. I haven't signed up for anything yet, but I'm doing a little soul searching and am looking forward to picking a role. I have been to church the last 3 weeks in a row- very proud of myself for that. Missed today as I was home with family all weekend, but perhaps I can watch today's message online and get back on track next week.
~My brother left today for a year long placement teaching English in South Korea to elementary- to middle-school aged children. My fam saw him off at the airport and I cried. I'll miss him a ton, but I'm so proud of him for doing this. He's really an inspiration to me sometimes. As you might expect, I spent this whole weekend with my family hanging out and saying goodbye to my brother. We were unsure when he was leaving at first, so we spent last weekend having a goodbye party for him and spending a day/night at Calloway Gardens. When we found out his flight was today, we got to spend another weekend together. The siblings (plus John) headed to the Andretti Karting facility in Alpharetta for a day of fun, followed by Davey's last Mexican meal for quite a while.
This morning he got his last Waffle House breakfast before we saw him off.
And for now, I'm going to finish watching Inkheart with my dad and sister before heading back to my place for the night. Hopefully you'll hear more from me before 3 months next time :)
PS- Davey, wherever you are over the Pacific right now, I hope you're loving it!!!
~I finished P90X- kind of wimped out at the end, but then I did a month-long boot camp: an hour workout at 5:45am 5 days a week. It kicked my butt in a good way. I'm currently on an exercise hiatus, lol. Hoping to start running either during lunch (I found a shower at work I can use) or after work sometime soon.
~John and I got all dressed up and went to the fabulous Fox theater to see the Phantom of the Opera's farewell tour. One of my favorites!!! It was wonderful. I cried at the end like always!
~I've signed the non-renewal form at my current apartment complex and am looking forward to moving into a new place- I've figured out the complex, I just have to decide on the unit, but I think after today I'm much closer to a decision.
~I have actually baked ONE item since going on and on about how excited I was to get into that! It wasn't anything out of any of my new cookbooks, however. It was a German Chocolate Cake for John's birthday :) We celebrated with his family one weekend during a family reunion at Brosnan Forest in SC, and then the next weekend he and I celebrated with a trip to the Stone Mountain Laser show, a behinds the scene tour at the Ga Aquarium, lunch at the Sundial restaurant down town, and then with a surprise party at my place! I think it all went over very well :)
Mom- I still owe you a banana cake. Don't worry- you'll get it soon!
~I have also started a couple paintings. There's not much there yet, but there are 2 fewer blank canvases sitting in my apartment at this moment, so that's a start!
~I recently co-founded a book club with some of my friends. Our first meeting is scheduled for middle of next month. For our first meeting we'll be reading The Wildwater Walking Club. I've also started reading a book my friend lent me, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. So far I'm loving it!
~I'm currently trying to figure out whether I want to continue down the path I had laid out for myself school/career wise, or if I want to try a different yellow-brick-road. I'm leaning toward the latter, I just have to figure out the details. Definitely more on that to come later.
~John's family unfortunately saw each other again not too long after that same family reunion mentioned above. His grandfather passed away unexpectedly and I went with him and his siblings down to the funeral in Savannah. The ceremony was a beautiful celebration of Ryan Garner's life. I'm sad I didn't get a chance to know him better or play that game of one-on-one Scrabble, but I can testify that he was a man that believed in hard work and loved his wife and his family and the Lord above all else. He will be missed but remembered fondly for a very long time.
~I'm still enjoying my church small group. I also recently attended a 4 week leadership program through the church. We heard different speakers on what it means to be a spiritual leader, got to find out what kind of leader we are and were given the opportunity to sign up for various leadership roles within the volunteer community at the church. I haven't signed up for anything yet, but I'm doing a little soul searching and am looking forward to picking a role. I have been to church the last 3 weeks in a row- very proud of myself for that. Missed today as I was home with family all weekend, but perhaps I can watch today's message online and get back on track next week.
~My brother left today for a year long placement teaching English in South Korea to elementary- to middle-school aged children. My fam saw him off at the airport and I cried. I'll miss him a ton, but I'm so proud of him for doing this. He's really an inspiration to me sometimes. As you might expect, I spent this whole weekend with my family hanging out and saying goodbye to my brother. We were unsure when he was leaving at first, so we spent last weekend having a goodbye party for him and spending a day/night at Calloway Gardens. When we found out his flight was today, we got to spend another weekend together. The siblings (plus John) headed to the Andretti Karting facility in Alpharetta for a day of fun, followed by Davey's last Mexican meal for quite a while.
This morning he got his last Waffle House breakfast before we saw him off.
And for now, I'm going to finish watching Inkheart with my dad and sister before heading back to my place for the night. Hopefully you'll hear more from me before 3 months next time :)
PS- Davey, wherever you are over the Pacific right now, I hope you're loving it!!!
Monday, May 3, 2010
What if...?
So I know it's been forever. I totally f-a-i-l-e-d at the whole keeping this going thing. I thought a million times about coming back and posting, but either it had been too long and I had too much to say, or I felt so guilty for staying away for so long that I couldn't bring myself to write anything, or a million other reasons. But an email I got today has inspired me, so here I am. My small group is doing a short "What If" study for the next couple weeks and I am already IN LOVE with it. We read this post (http://donmilleris.com/2010/03/25/the-single-most-powerful-question-you-can-ask/) and were asked to come up with our own list of 5 What If's. Then we're going to read them to the group and follow up on them in coming weeks. Well, I got started, and just like everyone that commented on the post, I couldn't stop at 5. And I wanted to share. So here they are. I have a feeling I've just created a list I'll be adding to for years to come.
What If...
What if I started a journal and KEPT it?
What if I got up earlier (on time) each day?
What if I stopped watching tv?
What if I looked into painting at the children's hospital?
What if I started my newsletter?
What if I really started baking?
What if I painted a little bit every day?
What if I refused to jump to negative conclusions?
What if I ran everyday?
What if I called my family just to say hi?
What if I stuck to my budget?
What if I finally cleaned out my closet?
What if I wrote a book?
What if I went on a mission trip?
What if I volunteered at church again?
What if I went to church every week?
What if I prototyped my invention?
What if I learned Spanish?
What if I learned guitar?
(ps- if you want an update on all the things I originally started this blog for, here's the short list:
-I failed at keeping up P90X first time around but am ending Week 8 of my second attempt tonight- this time with a friend.
-I have marginally improved my eating habits, including a few crash diets, and am now roughly 8-10 pounds (depending on the day) lighter than when I started this blog.
-I typed out my budget yesterday and created a Google Doc to help me stay on course. Hoping this Friday (payday) will be the start of that.
-I renewed my determination to get to the doctor's today and printed off info about my health insurance plan.
-I have made 0 progress on the cleaning out the closet front or the church attendance/volunteer efforts. Hence the listings in my What If list.)
What would be on YOUR "What If" list?
What If...
What if I started a journal and KEPT it?
What if I got up earlier (on time) each day?
What if I stopped watching tv?
What if I looked into painting at the children's hospital?
What if I started my newsletter?
What if I really started baking?
What if I painted a little bit every day?
What if I refused to jump to negative conclusions?
What if I ran everyday?
What if I called my family just to say hi?
What if I stuck to my budget?
What if I finally cleaned out my closet?
What if I wrote a book?
What if I went on a mission trip?
What if I volunteered at church again?
What if I went to church every week?
What if I prototyped my invention?
What if I learned Spanish?
What if I learned guitar?
(ps- if you want an update on all the things I originally started this blog for, here's the short list:
-I failed at keeping up P90X first time around but am ending Week 8 of my second attempt tonight- this time with a friend.
-I have marginally improved my eating habits, including a few crash diets, and am now roughly 8-10 pounds (depending on the day) lighter than when I started this blog.
-I typed out my budget yesterday and created a Google Doc to help me stay on course. Hoping this Friday (payday) will be the start of that.
-I renewed my determination to get to the doctor's today and printed off info about my health insurance plan.
-I have made 0 progress on the cleaning out the closet front or the church attendance/volunteer efforts. Hence the listings in my What If list.)
What would be on YOUR "What If" list?
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Day 10- Small Accomplishments
Wow have I been busy this week! Back to work on Tuesday with a more-than-normal workload to cram into a shorter- than-normal work week. But there's just one more day and I'm hanging in there. I saw 2012 with my boyfriend on Tuesday after my workout, and really enjoyed that. Another movie with great visual effects. Had small group last night and per usual didn't get out until 10 after chatting away.
My workouts are going well. Kenpo X on Tuesday kicked my butt! I never knew martial arts were such a cardio workout! I had to press pause several times in order to catch my breathe, mop my brow and grab some water! But I definitely knew I was going to benefit from that afternoon! I'm still feeling the burn in my calves and triceps. Yesterday was my rest day, and this evening starts Week 2 back with Core Synergistics (eek!) I'm hoping I'll be able to make it through a few more of the push up moves this time around!
I also finally got the workouts to the girls in my small group. Sounds like 3 or 4 of them are going to be joining in the fun! I've already heard from 2 of them that did today's workout together this morning. It's so nice to have people in your life following such a tough program right along with you. They're exactly a week behind me, so for the most part we'll still be doing the same workouts on the same days. We're already joking around and looking forward to the "beachbody"s that we're going to have in a few months!
Heading out of town tomorrow after work for a birthday celebration for my boyfriend's grandfather. Should be lots of fun, but I'm not sure what kind of workout opportunities I'll have. So I'm planning on getting up super early tomorrow AM in order to get in Cardio X before work. I'll try to get in a run on Saturday somehow since I'm missing the 10K group, and then hopefully I'll be back in town on Sunday early enough to pop in Yoga X.
I'm also not sure how closely I'll be able to follow my meal plan while I'm on retreat with the whole fam, so I'm just planning on making the healthiest choices available to me, and doing the best I can. I'm staying away from the all-or-nothing approach I've taken in previous attempts where I've given up on the whole program as soon a I slip up one tiny time. I'm focusing instead on doing the best I can and making as many little accomplishments along the way as I can. For example- I said "no thank you" to popcorn during Tuesday's movie. Last night's snack at small group was cupcakes. I didn't have one! And at today's staff meeting our boss provided various flavored popcorn. And once again, I didn't have any! So I'm holding tight to these little steps and hoping they snowball eventually!
A friend showed me a really inspiring article today and I just cannot wait until I start seeing results in my own life! I'm determined to see this through. A group at my work is also focusing on Health and Wellness and they've asked me to give an informal testimony during our next staff meeting about a bootcamp I went through a while back, so I'm sure I'll be talking about the programs I'm in now as well. Who knows-- maybe I can inspire some of them to step it up with their goals too!
My workouts are going well. Kenpo X on Tuesday kicked my butt! I never knew martial arts were such a cardio workout! I had to press pause several times in order to catch my breathe, mop my brow and grab some water! But I definitely knew I was going to benefit from that afternoon! I'm still feeling the burn in my calves and triceps. Yesterday was my rest day, and this evening starts Week 2 back with Core Synergistics (eek!) I'm hoping I'll be able to make it through a few more of the push up moves this time around!
I also finally got the workouts to the girls in my small group. Sounds like 3 or 4 of them are going to be joining in the fun! I've already heard from 2 of them that did today's workout together this morning. It's so nice to have people in your life following such a tough program right along with you. They're exactly a week behind me, so for the most part we'll still be doing the same workouts on the same days. We're already joking around and looking forward to the "beachbody"s that we're going to have in a few months!
Heading out of town tomorrow after work for a birthday celebration for my boyfriend's grandfather. Should be lots of fun, but I'm not sure what kind of workout opportunities I'll have. So I'm planning on getting up super early tomorrow AM in order to get in Cardio X before work. I'll try to get in a run on Saturday somehow since I'm missing the 10K group, and then hopefully I'll be back in town on Sunday early enough to pop in Yoga X.
I'm also not sure how closely I'll be able to follow my meal plan while I'm on retreat with the whole fam, so I'm just planning on making the healthiest choices available to me, and doing the best I can. I'm staying away from the all-or-nothing approach I've taken in previous attempts where I've given up on the whole program as soon a I slip up one tiny time. I'm focusing instead on doing the best I can and making as many little accomplishments along the way as I can. For example- I said "no thank you" to popcorn during Tuesday's movie. Last night's snack at small group was cupcakes. I didn't have one! And at today's staff meeting our boss provided various flavored popcorn. And once again, I didn't have any! So I'm holding tight to these little steps and hoping they snowball eventually!
A friend showed me a really inspiring article today and I just cannot wait until I start seeing results in my own life! I'm determined to see this through. A group at my work is also focusing on Health and Wellness and they've asked me to give an informal testimony during our next staff meeting about a bootcamp I went through a while back, so I'm sure I'll be talking about the programs I'm in now as well. Who knows-- maybe I can inspire some of them to step it up with their goals too!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Day 6- Afterburn
Well I was definitely burnt out Friday by the time I hopped in bed.
First of all, I have never really gone shopping before for "quality" running clothes, so when I showed up at Dick's all I knew was that I wanted some running tights/pants, some long sleeve shirts, some gloves, and that it all needed to be Dri-Fit. Wow- was I unprepared! Things were organized more by brand than type of garment, so I spent an hour wondering around trying to sort out who had what for how much, what the difference was between cold-compression and hot-compression, whether I needed relaxed or regular fit, and a million other choices I didn't know I had until then. I tried calling my friends that are more experienced runners, but didn't reach anyone. In the end I dropped quite a bit on a pair of Nike regular fit Dri-Fit running pants that were "specifically designed to keep me warm," 2 Reebok Dri-Fit long sleeve shirts, Under Armour gloves and ear warmers, as well as various new undergarments. Hopefully that's all I'll need for a while!
After running by Publix and stocking up on healthy options for the coming weeks, I got home and got right to that day's workout. The cardio routine turned out to be much more enjoyable than the core workout the day before, if for no other reason than I was actually able to perform all of the moves, and therefore felt like I was getting more out it. My supplements were waiting on my doorstep when I got home, so I had my first P90X Recovery drink after that workout. It was better than I expected! Tasted just like those Flintstones orange flavored push-up pops I used to get from the ice cream truck when I was younger.
I was in bed by about 10 to try and get a good night's sleep before my first run in the morning. I had started feeling a little sore earlier in the day (a good sign that I actually did get more out of the core workout that I had thought) but that night every time I went to roll over I was in agony. lol. Hopefully my body will get used to it fairly quickly.
Yesterday turn out well. Got up at 7 and threw on my new running gear. Grabbed a protein bar, banana and water for after my run and was out the door by 7:30. The first several minutes at our meeting spot were spent introducing all the leads and going through a brief overview of the program. We broke down into pace groups ranging from 10-15 minutes (we're talking about 10K mile times). My friends and I decided to be ambitious and joined the small number of people in the 10 minute group. Our first day's run was only a mile, and I made it to end ok, if a little winded by the last hill. But I'll have to seriously think about whether that's a realistic goal for me long term. We're allowed to move up or down a group depending on if we're having a good or off day each weekend, but I'm assuming I'll make more consistent progress if I pick a target time and stick to it. Each group did a run/walk ratio depending on their training target. Our group was 3min/1min. I'd love to have a 10min mile for a 10K by the end of this program. That'd have me finished with the full thing in a little over an hour. I'll keep yall updated once I decide what I really want to aim for. Unfortunately I'll be missing next week's "magic mile" cuz I'll be out of town. This is a timed mile run that they use to help you decide what you should be aiming for. I'll see if I can time myself where I'll be and talk to them about it afterward.
They gave us a schedule of the program, and we work up to a full 6.2 mile run eventually. It also included our homework runs. We're expected to run/walk for 30 min every Mon-Thursday, with Sundays and Fridays off. Like I expected, I'm going to be busy these next 3 months!
(By the way- my new running gear worked out well. I was wondering when I first showed up if I needed a second layer, but by the end I was glad I wasn't wearing one!)
Next I headed over to my parent's place. We've been trying to see Avatar in the 3-D IMAX version for a few weekends now and keep having bad luck. First time it was sold out, the next time my mom was too sick to go, and Friday night when they tried to get tickets the IMAX machine was broken! But they fixed it and we were the first people to show up for the 11:30 showing yesterday, so we got the best seats in the house! And for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, I agree with my friends- it's definitely worth seeing in that format. The new 3-D image was very cool. And again- like my friends told me, the plot's pretty predictable, but it's still very enjoyable and the visual effects are well worth it, in my opinion.
After all that I headed up to my boyfriend's place. Got in a short nap on the couch before doing my Saturday P90X- Arms/Shoulders and Ab Ripper X. Though I didn't sweat as much during this workout, I could definitely feel it in my muscles. Still waiting to see when I'm going to start feeling the after effects!
Today I start my 2-day fast. Had my first chocolate shake this morning. That and water's all I get for the next 48 hours, and hopefully that will help kick start my weight loss goals! The instructions for the fast suggest you take it easy while on the program. No exercising, or at least be prepared to stop when you feel your blood sugar level running too low. So I'm going to attempt today's Yoga X later this evening and see how it goes. Luckily I've got tomorrow off for MLK day, so I'll be able to take it easy through the end of the fast. Might try and go see another movie- Mom said 2012 was worth seeing on the big screen, so if it's still playing anywhere I might try for that.
Welp- that's all caught up. I'll check in later and let you know how the fast went!
First of all, I have never really gone shopping before for "quality" running clothes, so when I showed up at Dick's all I knew was that I wanted some running tights/pants, some long sleeve shirts, some gloves, and that it all needed to be Dri-Fit. Wow- was I unprepared! Things were organized more by brand than type of garment, so I spent an hour wondering around trying to sort out who had what for how much, what the difference was between cold-compression and hot-compression, whether I needed relaxed or regular fit, and a million other choices I didn't know I had until then. I tried calling my friends that are more experienced runners, but didn't reach anyone. In the end I dropped quite a bit on a pair of Nike regular fit Dri-Fit running pants that were "specifically designed to keep me warm," 2 Reebok Dri-Fit long sleeve shirts, Under Armour gloves and ear warmers, as well as various new undergarments. Hopefully that's all I'll need for a while!
After running by Publix and stocking up on healthy options for the coming weeks, I got home and got right to that day's workout. The cardio routine turned out to be much more enjoyable than the core workout the day before, if for no other reason than I was actually able to perform all of the moves, and therefore felt like I was getting more out it. My supplements were waiting on my doorstep when I got home, so I had my first P90X Recovery drink after that workout. It was better than I expected! Tasted just like those Flintstones orange flavored push-up pops I used to get from the ice cream truck when I was younger.
I was in bed by about 10 to try and get a good night's sleep before my first run in the morning. I had started feeling a little sore earlier in the day (a good sign that I actually did get more out of the core workout that I had thought) but that night every time I went to roll over I was in agony. lol. Hopefully my body will get used to it fairly quickly.
Yesterday turn out well. Got up at 7 and threw on my new running gear. Grabbed a protein bar, banana and water for after my run and was out the door by 7:30. The first several minutes at our meeting spot were spent introducing all the leads and going through a brief overview of the program. We broke down into pace groups ranging from 10-15 minutes (we're talking about 10K mile times). My friends and I decided to be ambitious and joined the small number of people in the 10 minute group. Our first day's run was only a mile, and I made it to end ok, if a little winded by the last hill. But I'll have to seriously think about whether that's a realistic goal for me long term. We're allowed to move up or down a group depending on if we're having a good or off day each weekend, but I'm assuming I'll make more consistent progress if I pick a target time and stick to it. Each group did a run/walk ratio depending on their training target. Our group was 3min/1min. I'd love to have a 10min mile for a 10K by the end of this program. That'd have me finished with the full thing in a little over an hour. I'll keep yall updated once I decide what I really want to aim for. Unfortunately I'll be missing next week's "magic mile" cuz I'll be out of town. This is a timed mile run that they use to help you decide what you should be aiming for. I'll see if I can time myself where I'll be and talk to them about it afterward.
They gave us a schedule of the program, and we work up to a full 6.2 mile run eventually. It also included our homework runs. We're expected to run/walk for 30 min every Mon-Thursday, with Sundays and Fridays off. Like I expected, I'm going to be busy these next 3 months!
(By the way- my new running gear worked out well. I was wondering when I first showed up if I needed a second layer, but by the end I was glad I wasn't wearing one!)
Next I headed over to my parent's place. We've been trying to see Avatar in the 3-D IMAX version for a few weekends now and keep having bad luck. First time it was sold out, the next time my mom was too sick to go, and Friday night when they tried to get tickets the IMAX machine was broken! But they fixed it and we were the first people to show up for the 11:30 showing yesterday, so we got the best seats in the house! And for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, I agree with my friends- it's definitely worth seeing in that format. The new 3-D image was very cool. And again- like my friends told me, the plot's pretty predictable, but it's still very enjoyable and the visual effects are well worth it, in my opinion.
After all that I headed up to my boyfriend's place. Got in a short nap on the couch before doing my Saturday P90X- Arms/Shoulders and Ab Ripper X. Though I didn't sweat as much during this workout, I could definitely feel it in my muscles. Still waiting to see when I'm going to start feeling the after effects!
Today I start my 2-day fast. Had my first chocolate shake this morning. That and water's all I get for the next 48 hours, and hopefully that will help kick start my weight loss goals! The instructions for the fast suggest you take it easy while on the program. No exercising, or at least be prepared to stop when you feel your blood sugar level running too low. So I'm going to attempt today's Yoga X later this evening and see how it goes. Luckily I've got tomorrow off for MLK day, so I'll be able to take it easy through the end of the fast. Might try and go see another movie- Mom said 2012 was worth seeing on the big screen, so if it's still playing anywhere I might try for that.
Welp- that's all caught up. I'll check in later and let you know how the fast went!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Day 4- Supplies
I have a very full schedule for the rest of today, so I'm going to check in now in case I don't get around to it later. Here's what the rest of my day looks like:
- Get off work at 4:15 (work work work until then)
- Go pick up some cold-weather gear for tomorrow's 8am run (eek!)
- Head to the grocery store armed with my P90X list of acceptable foods
- Go home and unpack all of my new stuff
- Pop in today's P90X workout (Cardio X)
- Shower and get in bed early in order to rest up for tomorrow!
Then tomorrow I'll have my first 10K training run ALONG WITH my P90X workout! Crazy huh? I guess I better get used to it. I'll let you know what all this training program is going to entail tomorrow after I find out myself!
VUMR6NNDEMTK
- Get off work at 4:15 (work work work until then)
- Go pick up some cold-weather gear for tomorrow's 8am run (eek!)
- Head to the grocery store armed with my P90X list of acceptable foods
- Go home and unpack all of my new stuff
- Pop in today's P90X workout (Cardio X)
- Shower and get in bed early in order to rest up for tomorrow!
Then tomorrow I'll have my first 10K training run ALONG WITH my P90X workout! Crazy huh? I guess I better get used to it. I'll let you know what all this training program is going to entail tomorrow after I find out myself!
VUMR6NNDEMTK
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Day 3- A New Routine
Wow!
I just finished my first P90X workout. Core Synergistics. Can you say tough? I was literally physically unable to do some of those push-up moves. But I made it through the whole workout eventually. Now I'm smelly, downing a protein shake and getting ready to hop in the shower. (TMI? Sorry! lol)
After that I'm gonna make some dinner- egg white omelet perhaps- and watch the return of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. (I never said I was giving up ALL of my couch potato habits!)
Looking forward (in a scared kind of way) to what tomorrow's workout holds!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Day 2- The Beginning of a New Beginning
I mentioned in my last post that there are several areas I plan on improving this year. Here's the short list:
Tomorrow I will be starting P90X Lean. For those of you that don't know what I'm talking about, this is a 90-day program that focuses on all of the basics- cardio, strength training, nutrition, etc- and is based on the theory of muscle confusion. (You can learn more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P90x and here http://www.p90x.com) The "Lean" part of it just means that I'm doing a version of the program that focuses more on losing weight and toning up than it does on bulking up. I'll be doing 1 hour workouts 6 days a week with the 7th day being either for rest or the stretching routine.
The variation that comes with the muscle confusion approach is one reason I'm so excited about this program. I think it will really help keep me interested/motivated. I can say with certainty that one of the reasons I've dropped out of other workout programs is the repetitiveness. When I get to a point that I know a workout routine really well, it gets dangerous for 2 reasons. First of all, I get bored. This is never a good thing. Secondly, I start to dread what I know is coming next. Not necessarily because it's a hard move, but just because I know I stiiiiillll have x minutes left before I'm done. I personally need to keep things fresh. Some people thrive when they know exactly what they're doing. And there's probably something to be said for being able to pace yourself when that's the case. But I need to keep things upbeat and exciting and new. When I feel myself starting to get comfortable with a routine and settling into it, that's the beginning of the end for me. With this program, each routine only gets recycled every 7 days. And even that only lasts 3 weeks before it gets switched up again.
So tonight after small group I'll be taking my official "Before" pictures and all my body measurements and recording them in my worksheets. I've ordered a few supplements to help with the workouts: a protein recovery shake to be taken within 60 minutes of each day's workout, a meal replacement drink to be used as part of a 2-day fast to help jump-start my diet, and a 2-part supplement program that's meant to help me burn more fat during my workouts.
Team Beachbody (the parent company that P90X is sold under, along with all sorts of other workout programs and equipment) also has a huge online support network that I've linked into. You build a profile, post your before and after shots, log your workouts and progress, etc. Anytime you get online there are guaranteed to be other people online working out at the same time as you. You can schedule workouts together and touch base afterward to help motivate each other. It's just one more way I've found to hold myself accountable. I've already made some connections that have led to great advice and resources, and I've scheduled my first month's worth of workouts!
- improve my personal fitness through both diet and exercise
- redefine my budget and take control of my finances
- make my rounds at the doctors' offices (for the first time since I've had health insurance)
- improve my church attendance and research volunteer opportunities
- clean out my closet of both clothes and other assorted junk
Tomorrow I will be starting P90X Lean. For those of you that don't know what I'm talking about, this is a 90-day program that focuses on all of the basics- cardio, strength training, nutrition, etc- and is based on the theory of muscle confusion. (You can learn more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P90x and here http://www.p90x.com) The "Lean" part of it just means that I'm doing a version of the program that focuses more on losing weight and toning up than it does on bulking up. I'll be doing 1 hour workouts 6 days a week with the 7th day being either for rest or the stretching routine.
The variation that comes with the muscle confusion approach is one reason I'm so excited about this program. I think it will really help keep me interested/motivated. I can say with certainty that one of the reasons I've dropped out of other workout programs is the repetitiveness. When I get to a point that I know a workout routine really well, it gets dangerous for 2 reasons. First of all, I get bored. This is never a good thing. Secondly, I start to dread what I know is coming next. Not necessarily because it's a hard move, but just because I know I stiiiiillll have x minutes left before I'm done. I personally need to keep things fresh. Some people thrive when they know exactly what they're doing. And there's probably something to be said for being able to pace yourself when that's the case. But I need to keep things upbeat and exciting and new. When I feel myself starting to get comfortable with a routine and settling into it, that's the beginning of the end for me. With this program, each routine only gets recycled every 7 days. And even that only lasts 3 weeks before it gets switched up again.
I originally chose to start tomorrow because 2 girls in my church small group were going to be doing it with me and they were getting their copies today, but it turns out they won't have theirs for a little while longer. I have decided to go ahead and start anyways and hopefully they'll be able to start soon and only be about a week behind. The more I look at the workout schedule though, the more I think starting on a Thursday is going to work out better than I planned (as opposed to starting at the beginning of the week as I probably would have done if I hadn't been trying to coordinate with others). By starting on a Thursday, it means that my long workouts (some sort of strength training paired with the ab routine) is going to fall on Saturdays when I have plenty of time. Yoga will be on Sundays, which seems like a good way to unwind and prepare for the coming week. And Wednesdays will be my rest/stretching day which is when I have small group after work and am normally pressed for time.
So tonight after small group I'll be taking my official "Before" pictures and all my body measurements and recording them in my worksheets. I've ordered a few supplements to help with the workouts: a protein recovery shake to be taken within 60 minutes of each day's workout, a meal replacement drink to be used as part of a 2-day fast to help jump-start my diet, and a 2-part supplement program that's meant to help me burn more fat during my workouts.
Team Beachbody (the parent company that P90X is sold under, along with all sorts of other workout programs and equipment) also has a huge online support network that I've linked into. You build a profile, post your before and after shots, log your workouts and progress, etc. Anytime you get online there are guaranteed to be other people online working out at the same time as you. You can schedule workouts together and touch base afterward to help motivate each other. It's just one more way I've found to hold myself accountable. I've already made some connections that have led to great advice and resources, and I've scheduled my first month's worth of workouts!
In addition to P90X I've signed up for a 12-week 10K training program (http://www.active.com/running/atlanta-ga/atlanta-10k-training-program-2010). I made a New Year's resolution to run 1 5K a month in 2010 and asked one of my good friends to join me in this and she suggested we sign up for this program in lieu of Jan-March runs. As I would be running more for less than it would cost to sign up for 3 5Ks this sounded like a good plan for me. So starting this Saturday I'll be getting up for an 8am run every Saturday until March 27th. It also sounds like we will have "homework" runs to do during the week. Between these runs and my P90X workouts, I'm thinking that some days I'm not going to have any time to sit on the couch! Which is a good thing!
I get paid on Friday, which means I'm going shopping after work then! First of all I need more groceries. Time for my pantry makeover. I was going to do that earlier this week, but ran out of time and funds. And as I'll only be on the the second day of P90X at that point, I won't have done much harm before then. I'm sure I have SOMEthing healthy at home to get me by until then. The other thing I have to go get is some cold weather running gear. I normally just wear guy's running shorts and some sort of tank top, but I don't think that's going to cut it in the current temperatures! So I'll be getting some dri-fit running tights, pants and long sleeve shirts. I also need a headband to cover up my ears and some running gloves. And a running jacket if I can afford that after everything else.
So that's what I've got coming up! I've got a few other things already in the works for farther out, but more on that later. As for deadlines, my family has a trip to St. Thomas planned for early June. So I have approximately 6 months to get in shape to where I feel comfortable once again in a bathing suit. If I get really motivated, that almost gives me time to do the P90X program 2 times through!
I can't wait to update yall on my progress with both these programs! Wish me luck!
I get paid on Friday, which means I'm going shopping after work then! First of all I need more groceries. Time for my pantry makeover. I was going to do that earlier this week, but ran out of time and funds. And as I'll only be on the the second day of P90X at that point, I won't have done much harm before then. I'm sure I have SOMEthing healthy at home to get me by until then. The other thing I have to go get is some cold weather running gear. I normally just wear guy's running shorts and some sort of tank top, but I don't think that's going to cut it in the current temperatures! So I'll be getting some dri-fit running tights, pants and long sleeve shirts. I also need a headband to cover up my ears and some running gloves. And a running jacket if I can afford that after everything else.
So that's what I've got coming up! I've got a few other things already in the works for farther out, but more on that later. As for deadlines, my family has a trip to St. Thomas planned for early June. So I have approximately 6 months to get in shape to where I feel comfortable once again in a bathing suit. If I get really motivated, that almost gives me time to do the P90X program 2 times through!
I can't wait to update yall on my progress with both these programs! Wish me luck!
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