100 mile fitness challenge - weeks 5 & 6

Week #5 (January 29th - February 4th)

Jan. 29 = 0 miles

Jan. 30 = 4 miles

Jan. 31 = 5 miles

Feb. 1 = 0 miles

Feb. 2 = 3 miles

Feb. 3 = 2 miles

Feb. 4 = 4 miles

Total miles for week # 5 = 18 miles

I had a much better week.  Got in more of my miles.  Not much with walking/running, but with bootcamp and such.  It's been too cold for outside walking and running right now (my co-worker calls me a "wuss" and I don't disagree - I hate the cold weather). I also haven't been feeling like using the treadmill.  I feel like it's too much of a metaphor for my life at the moment - keep running, but getting nowhere.


Week #6 (February 5th-February 11th)

Feb. 5 = 0 miles

Feb. 6 = 2 miles

Feb. 7 = 0 miles

Feb. 8 = 3 miles

Feb. 9 = 0 miles

Feb. 10 = 6 miles

Feb. 11 = 6 miles

Total miles for week # 5 = 17 miles


The week started out with me in hibernation mode with the first of two blizzards hitting us.  I did some shoveling, but that was it, and I ate horribly to add to it.  Being snowed in makes me feel trapped and icky.  Anyway, I decided to push myself hard at the end of the week to make up for it.   Sometimes a hard workout is what's necessary and it actually released a lot of stress I was carrying around.

To work on:  I need to get back into a better routine.  I allowed myself to get thrown about by the weather and emotional blahs. 

To be proud of:  I made it through advanced bootcamp without nearly as many modifications  (i.e. - I did real push-ups!)

Week 4 - Progress Report

Week #4 (January 22nd - January 28th)
Jan. 22 = 4 miles

Jan. 23 = 5 miles

Jan. 24 = 0 miles

Jan. 25 = 3 miles

Jan. 26 = 0 miles

Jan. 27 = 2 miles

Jan. 28 = 0 miles

Total miles for week # 4 = 14 miles

Again with only four days of workouts and my workout on Wednesday night was one of those where I just couldn't break through the wall.  You know that feeling.  Usually about 10-15 minutes in, your muscles are fine and while it's work (hence the working out), it gets easier and not so hard on the body/mind.  But Wednesday, my knee started to hurt, i felt slighly nauseous and I just felt funky about the workout, so I didn't do much.  And I ended up not working out yesterday - first anniversary of my mom's death and I decided to wallow a little bit instead of what I probably should've done.

Oh well, it's a learning process.  And 14 miles isn't so bad.  I'm just hoping tonight when I workout, I don't feel that wall again.  Or at least that I'm able to bust through it.

Week 3 - Progress Report

Week #3 (January 15th - January 21st)

Jan. 15 = 4 miles
Jan. 16 = 3 miles
Jan. 17 = 4 miles
Jan. 18 = 0 miles
Jan. 19 = 3 miles
Jan. 20 = 2 miles
Jan. 21 = 0 miles

Total miles for week # 3 = 16 miles

I kinda found my groove again.  I had wanted to get in a work out last night, but I ended up feeling really sick and there was just no way my body could take it.  I still can't complain.  Sixteen miles is a huge improvement over the week before.  I'm almost back from my fun with bronchitis and getting back into the swing of things. 

I am trying to challenge myself a little more with whatever I'm doing, trying to work different muscles, push myself just a little harder, sink just a little deeper.

Still trying to figure out how to manage it all.  You would think by now I'd have a routine that includes working out and my fun leisure activities, but lately I find my hobbies get waylaid but workouts.  And I know this isn't necessarily healthy.  After all, how long will I continue with something when the rest of my life has lost the things I love?  Must work on this for the next week.  Learn time management.

the exercise blues

First, I did a guest post over at the 100 Mile Fitnesss Challenge on my own approach to exercise - loathing and terror.  It can be found here.  It's nothing mind blowing, but I appreciate Trish giving me the opportunity to share my feelings on such things.

Second, I tried the Biggest Loser Weight Loss Yoga last night and am now feeling it.  I do not believe it is fair to add push-ups into yoga.  I think that is cheating.  If I knew Bob Harper, I would tell him so and run away before he could make me do jumping jacks.  I've also come to realize that for someone who used to be a dancer, I'm quite inflexible and lack any grace whatsoever.  On the dvd, the people, even the guys, move easily, practically flowing, from one move to another, while I'm stumbling around like a lunatic.  Hopefully, this will get better with time, but my ego is a little bruised.  Stupid yoga. 

100 Miles Fitness Challenge Round 2 - Weeks 1 & 2 check in

I started off the New Year strong, but by January 4th, I started to feel like crap. I ended up with bronchitis and that put me out of commission (per doctor's orders) through that whole week.

Week #1 (January 1st - January 7th)

January 1 = 3 miles
January 2 = 3 miles
January 3 = 2 miles
January 4 = 0 miles
January 5 = 0 miles
January 6 = 0 miles
January 7 = 0 miles

Week 1 Total = 8 miles


Week #2 (January 8th - January 14th)

January 8 = 0 miles
January 9 = 0 miles
January 10 = 0 miles
January 11 = 2 miles
January 12 = 2 miles
January 13 = 2 miles
January 14 = 2 miles

Week 2 Total = 8 miles


It was really frustrating being down and out for a week. Don't get me wrong. I haven't suddenly changed my mindset about how I approach working out. It's not something I look forward to and if my doctor would say to me, "You can eat pizza and still be healthy and in shape without doing anything" I'd be the first on that boat. I mean, there are activity things I would do, probably, but not as often as I do now. What frustrated me was that since September 2009, I have set up a routine. I have made exercise a part of my life the same way work and laundry and watching my favorites shows are. And I as scared that a week of no exercise would really mess that.

Also, last week I wasn't allowed "to push myself" so that was hard too, though important. As those small workouts were killer in ways they haven't been in awhile.

Thankfully, I'm back on track with my exercise. Now I'm working out trying to get back on track with eating much better. My big issue is my hatred of cooking, especially after a long work day. So I'm trying to plan ahead and figure out healthy meals that can be reheated or quickly tossed together.

a minor setback

Currently battling bronchitis. I had started to feel sick over the holidays, but it seemed to go away and then Monday morning...BAM. It hit hard. Needless to say several things, including work (which is so not good), fell to wayside in favor of sleeping and mindless watching of television - yesterday was a Top Model marathon on Bravo!

Last time I exercised was Monday and the doctor said I have to give it a few more days and even then, I have to take it easy. He said he was proud of me for wanting to get right back at it, but it's more about a routine for me. Working out, while never my favorite thing to do, has become something I just know needs to be done. Sort of like laundry and showering and taking out the trash. I don't really enjoy the act of exercise, but I do enjoy the healthy side effects, including loser-fitting clothes.

So I'm feeling down and out at the moment. I feel like crap, I can't work out and my demon brain goes right to all the ways this is just an omen and that I'm a failure and blah, blah, blah, and yesterday would've been my mother's 66 birthday. And 21 days from now will be the first anniversary of her death. It's a weird thing. Sometimes it feels like it just happened, surely a year hasn't passed already. And some days I feel like she's been gone for so long now that it sort of blends into the background the way my father's death does (He died when I was eleven).

On a positive, I am taking part in the Day Zero Project, where you set out to do 101 things in 1001 days. Not quite three years. Sorta like a bucket list, but a little less depressing, as I don't want to wait until I'm near death to finally enjoy life.

Weeks 11 & 12 - the end of round 100

Week 11 (December 19th-December 25th)

Saturday - 0 miles
Sunday - 6 miles
Monday - 0 miles
Tuesday - 0 miles
Wednesday - 3 miles
Thursday - 0 miles
Friday - 0 miles

total miles = 9 miles

I ended up being busier (and lazier) the week of Christmas than I accounted for. I'm the first to admit that I am terrible with managing my time very well and things were getting crazy and workouts fell to the side.

Week 12 (December 26th-December 31st)

Saturday - 4
Sunday - 3
Monday - 4
Tuesday - 1
Wednesday - 0
Thursday - 3

Total miles = 15 miles

Total Miles for the Challenge = 150 miles (if my math is correct). So I not only completed the challenge, but made it over. When I signed up, I saw the thing as motivation, but in the back of my head, the inner demon (which is what I call my negative voice) was being very loud about how impossible this would be for me. That not only do I loathe exercise (still do), but I'm lazy and out of shape and could never do it. So I figured I'll just do what I can...and funny thing was? Along the way, I found myself pushing myself a little harder. Like I said, I still hate the exercising, but I do like the feeling of getting healthier, of how my clothes are fitting, how I can go up flights of stairs without huffing and puffing.

I'm so proud of myself right now. I've still got a long way to go, but I've seen, with hard numbers and data, that I can do this. It's also helped me some of my weak areas. Like the week of Christmas, my issues with time management did interfere with my getting workouts in. I also need to work on the idea that a little is better than none. On busy days I would talk myself out of any exercise because I couldn't do the amount I thought I should. Yeah, only logical in my brain.

Also, I set a task with Google to alert myself every Friday for the next round so that I don't end up in this situation again where I'm missing weeks of posting. I want to take accountability in that moment, see exactly what I'm doing.

Anyway, I'm so thankful for this challenge. And ready for round two. It's not too late to sign up if you're interested. You can sign up here

week 10 - 100 miles fitness.

My goal for the second round, along with the actual miles is to get my posting done on Friday. it's just a crazy day for me for some reason...though I'd like to say it's because I'm working out.

(December 12th-December 18th)

Saturday - 0 miles
Sunday - 0 miles
Monday - 4 miles
Tuesday - 0 miles
Wednesday - 4 miles
Thursday - 3 miles
Friday - 3 miles

total miles = 14 miles. I didn't think it would be so hard at the holidays to find time to get workouts in, but it's been crazy. I really want to get back to five days a week again, but right now I feel like a chicken with its head cut off (which, where did that saying originate? Do chickens actually run around after their heads have been chopped off? nevermind, I don't want to know)

Part of those miles, have been accumulating since I started a bootcamp regime. I started as a beginner and could barely complete the thing and now I'm doing all the way through advanced. it's still the longest 60 minutes of my life (every single time I do it - I cry a little inside), but when this challenge started, I never thought I'd make it to the advanced level. In fact, when i started bootcamp, I was like, "You people are nuts. I'm never leaving beginner!" And here I am a few months later.

If you aren't a part of the challenge now, there is a second round that's going on and you can sign up here

And now to make it through the holidays, still exercising and watching what I eat. fruit is food, not junk...fruit is friend, not junk...

weeks 8 & 9

Does it make flaking on posting my results any better if I say I was working out? Because I have been pushing myself to workout, but still can't get my lazy, sleep, oh-it's-nice-and-warm-in-this-bed butt up earlier to do it before work. So, at the end of a workday, I eat, workout, wash up, and go to bed to do it all over again. As for the weekend...uh, I have no real excuse. Except last weekend I was moving furniture all of Saturday night (don't worry, I didn't count that in my exercise) and Sunday I was exhausted because of it. Yeah, that's my story and I'm sticking with it.

I have to admit that it's getting harder to park far away from places as it's getting really cold. It's not the walking, but the cold that bothers me. I have taken to being a weirdo in the office who randomly does bicep curls with a ream of paper in each hand while waiting for my copies. I'm pretty sure I'm broken.

(November 28th-December 4th)

Saturday - 4 miles
Sunday - 0 miles
Monday - 3 miles
Tuesday - 3 miles
Wednesday - 0 miles
Thursday - 3 miles
Friday - 4 miles

Total for this week is 17 miles. It helped that I was on vacation, so I had more time to just go all-out with my workouts than I do when I'm working.

(December 5th-11th)

Saturday - 4 miles
Sunday - 0 miles
Monday - 3 miles
Tuesday - 0 miles
Wednesday - 0 miles
Thursday - 3 miles
Friday - 2 miles

Total for the week 12 miles.

As proof, this week was crazy work, so I only got the bare minimum in. However, I've come a long way with this challenge if my bare minimum is this now. And this makes me proud of myself. It's the funniest things I notice now, showing that I'm slowly getting in shape. I'm not where I *want* to be, but if I stick with it and continue to expand my range, I'll get there.

Still need to get better about adding yoga and tai chi into my routine. I'm thinking it will be a little easier now as I have switched in the master bedroom of my house and have plenty of room to do put my mat and blocks out right here on a more comfortable floor. That's if I stop listening to my morning demon brain.

I'm also hoping to get back to 5 days as week if possible with workouts as I'm doing another round of Biggest Loser on the Weight Watchers boards - go team Green. It really keeps me motivated.

week 6 & 7 check in

I totally blanked on recording my time for week 6. I remembered it yesterday and decided it was best to wait and breakdown both weeks.

I did remember to exercise. I am getting better at pushing through the, "Ehhh...must I do this? It's hard work." I doubt I will ever be a fitness guru or the girl who starts talking about how awesome exercise it. I continue to think of it as a necessary evil to not only losing weight, but a healthier lifestyle.

While I don't count it here, I have also gotten better about parking far away from stores, taking stairs, and randomly doing leg kicks and arm presses at home and at work (which has garnered a few stares when I've been caught in my office).

(November 14th-20th)

Saturday - 4 miles
Sunday - 0 miles
Monday - 2 miles
Tuesday - 3 miles
Wednesday - 0 miles
Thursday - 4 miles
Friday - 1 mile

Total for this week is 14 miles.

(November 21st-27th)

Saturday - 4 miles
Sunday - 2 miles
Monday - 4 miles
Tuesday - 0 miles
Wednesday - 4 miles
Thursday - 3 miles
Friday - 2 miles

Total for the week (Saturday-Friday) is 19 miles.

I kicked it up a notch this past week to prepare and deal with Thanksgiving. I wanted to be able to be decadent without feeling guilty (which only leads to issues for me), so I planned on a heavy workout routine for the week. Next week, I'm going back to aiming for 4/5 days - three really strong workouts and two easier ones.

I really love this challenge and the Biggest Loser Challenge I've been doing for the month of November because it's pushing me a bit. I keep thinking in the back of my head about the goals I have to make.

Moment of pride: I had started doing the Biggest Loser BootCamp workout on rainy days and such. I have finally worked up to where I can make it through the advanced level. It's a killer workout and my arms tend to just hang there afterward, probably wondering, "Why do you punish us like this? Don't you remember when you (we) were lazy? It was nice." When I first started the thing I thought there was no way I could do it, I barely made it through level one, but I am at the advanced level.

This week: I need to get some yoga/stretching into my regime.

week 5 - check in

This is really late and I apologize. last week was crazy. I was sick, life was busy, and then I was playing catch up all weekend.

So I go from very good week, to decent week. I'm not going to berate myself because three days of workouts is more than I used to get in before this challenge and weight watchers. But this week, I do want to strive to get back to that five days. while I doubt I will ever be an exercise enthusiast, I do like the feeling of being in shape. Not walking up two flights of stairs and getting winded.

Saturday - 3 miles
Sunday - 0 miles
Monday - 0 miles
Tuesday - 3 miles
Wednesday - 0 miles
Thursday - 0 miles
Friday - 2 miles

Total for the week (Saturday-Friday) is 8 miles.

Goals for this week: get exercise in, even if it's just a short walk in the morning and one in the evening.

week 4 - check in

I'm a tad bit late inputting this information for last week, but it was a very good week for me. I got in exercise 5 out of 7 days. I'm really proud of myself for that. Some days I was able to push harder than others, but overall, I think this challenge (and the Biggest Loser challenge) is helping with the motivation. And it's always nice being able to walk up stairs without getting out of breath.

Saturday - 2 miles
Sunday - 2 miles
Monday - 3 miles
Tuesday - 3 miles
Wednesday - 1 miles
Thursday - 0 miles
Friday - 3 miles

Total for the week (Saturday-Friday) is 14 miles.

Good lord. You know, until I just saw that number of miles, it didn't really hit me. I'm used to just focusing on the day and pushing myself with the small "just keep going to that tree" and then "Okay, now just push yourself to that fire hydrant" so I don't think about the total number.

Yay!

**

Yesterday wasn't the best day for me foodwise - I still got a workout in - but I was able to go to Old Navy and purchase some REWARDs for myself as some of my clothes are starting to swim on me. Can't complain too much about that. Although, I wish I wasn't quite so poor.

week 3 - check in

This wasn't my best week as far as exercise goes. On the three days that I actually did exercise, I owned it, if I do say so. Owned it for me anyway, considering I've only been exercising for about five weeks again.

Saturday - 3 miles
Sunday - 0 miles
Monday - 0 miles
Tuesday - 0 miles
Wednesday - 3 miles
Thursday - 0 miles
Friday - 3 miles

Total for the week (Saturday-Friday) is 9 miles.

I'm hoping this week to be more consistent in my work outs and stop letting myself off the hook with excuses like "it's raining" or "work exhausted me." It's not that they might not be true, but I also know I can't just keep exercise for days that meet some perfect standard.

Along with this challenge, I'm doing a Biggest Loser challenge through Weight Watchers to push for exercise and total weight loss for the month.

**

This week was a long one and I was feeling more than a little melancholy. No real reason for it, but it was hard to really push through it. I'm hoping this week to at least exercise four days and I think it's time to start working out before work again, as that way I can't come up with excuses as the day wears on to get out of it.

week 2 - check in

That plan to step it up a notch this week? Didn't quite work out as well as I hoped. I'd like to put it all on the craziness that was the week - I've had a different doctor appointment every day, which I've been using my lunch hour for and class on tuesday night. Usually, I like to get in a walk on my lunch break in addition to whatever other exercise I need to do, but this week, no time for that.

Saturday - 3 miles
Sunday - 0 miles
Monday - 1 mile
Tuesday - 1 mile
Wednesday - 0 miles
Thursday - 3 miles
Friday - 2 miles

Total for the week (Saturday-Friday) is 10 miles. Wow, I did better than last week! Who knew?

I have to say that this challenge is really helping me with sticking with my routine. Sundays are still hard days for me to get moving as I really enjoy lazy Sundays, especially when the weather is cold and rainy.

**

In other news, I've been thinking about things I could use this journal for. I'm reading Be by AC Ping and it's enlightening on some levels. I've also been meditating lately and it all leads me to this path on things I want to do with my life, figuring out my purpose, messing up along the way, but not hating myself for it...none of the above am I very good at it.

week 1 check in

So this week hasn't been my best as far as exercise.  Wednesday and Thursday were losses due to a cold and bad weather, and I didn't exercise on Saturday, but I did get four workouts in this week anyway.

Sunday - 3 miles
Monday - 1 mile
Tuesday - 2 miles
Wednesday/Thursday - 0
Friday - 3 miles

Total for the week (Saturday-Friday) is 9 miles.

Not too bad, but I'm going to have to step it up, I think.  Just need to pull out some warmer clothing and get a pair of new headphones (as mine are on their last legs).

**

In other news, weekend is upon us and my only plans are to light a fire and read a lot.  Maybe watch some movies.  It's the perfect sort of thing for this kind of weather.

I'm undertaking a challenge

I've been trying to figure out what to use this blog for, aside from just a way to follow/comment on a bunch of blogs. I admit it, I'm a livejournal girl. It's easy-peasy and a real blog would require real thought.


But I went ahead and signed up for:

I've been working out for about two weeks and I figure this could provide the motivation I need to stick with it, especially as it starts to get cold and I try to come up with various excuses for why I shouldn't go walking.

Anyway, it's a start for something to use this for, I guess. I have a lot of ideas buzzing about in my head - it's a scary place - but I'm never sure how to articulate in an interesting matter.