Although I haven't been posting lately, I have been trying to get my workouts done. September was hard month around here. Bouts of colds and flu kept us all under the weather or busy taking care of sick ones. I still have s light head cold, but I'm back getting my workouts in.
I absolutely love my heart monitor. It makes riding the exercise bike so much more challenging. I don't have to ride with my hands on the handles to watch my heart rate. I love being able to keep track of how hard I'm working. And I've learned that intervals are definitely the way to work out.
The weather here has turned pretty cold in the morning. And I've so missed my walks. So this morning I got up, laced up my walking shoes and went to the rec center. I really don't like walking indoors. But since winter is fast approaching, I better get used to it. Either I walk in the mornings at the rec center or I get it done right after work when it's still a little warm. My goal is to do 3 days on the bike and 3 days walking.
I put on my heart rate monitor and my pedometer. I've tested the pedometer at the walking park, so I know it's pretty accurate. That is much easier than having to count laps. It takes about 14 to make a mile. I walked for about 25 minutes and then starting doing some short jogging intervals. It was probably only about 1/4 of the track, but it's a start. And I have to say that it did get my heart rate up. I've got to figure out a way to keep track of how many intervals I do. Not sure how to work that out. Right now I can't jog each time around the track. I jog then walk a couple laps then jog again. But it felt so good that I could even jog at all. By the end of the my 60 minutes my legs were burning. I'm sure I'll be a little sore tomorrow, but I did it. My goal has been to do 3 miles in the 60 minutes. Because of the jogs I ended up going 3.15 miles. This is so addictive. If somebody would have told me years ago that I would desperately miss my workouts, I would have told them they were stark raving mad. But I do. My days go better when I get up and workout first thing. I have learned that working out helps me mentally and emotionally as much as it does the physical. Maybe even more.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Missing My Walk
My life has been so hectic this past week. At the moment Amy has been put on bed rest, so she doesn't have her baby way too early. I told Spencer it is his job to go to work and pay the bills so we have a roof over our heads. Amy's job is to rest and let Jayden grow bigger and stronger. My job seems to be everything else. Well, at least the taking care of the kids, taking care of the animals, cooking, cleaning, laundry and doing my garden. And I'm about at the end of my rope and so stressed out.
Unfortunately at a time when I desperately need my morning walk, I haven't been able to do it. The boys always get up and run to their mom. So I want to be home to stop them and let her rest. Luckily Tony is here helping out. But I still just don't seem to be able to get that walk in. I miss it so much. Who would have thought that I would be addicted to exercise? Certainly not me.
So my goal for today is to find time to get that walk in. I prefer to walk in the morning. In order to do that, it might mean getting up way before 6 am to go.
Unfortunately at a time when I desperately need my morning walk, I haven't been able to do it. The boys always get up and run to their mom. So I want to be home to stop them and let her rest. Luckily Tony is here helping out. But I still just don't seem to be able to get that walk in. I miss it so much. Who would have thought that I would be addicted to exercise? Certainly not me.
So my goal for today is to find time to get that walk in. I prefer to walk in the morning. In order to do that, it might mean getting up way before 6 am to go.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
One Whole Hour
This morning I was determined to increase the time I walk. I admit I haven't been as consistent as I should be. I generally either walk or do the bike 4-5 days a week. I have been walking about 45 minutes when I go. I got a new pedometer because I couldn't find the old one. I set the distance I step the way it told me. However, I think I'm going to check that again. Then after I got to the park I dropped it. So only about 1/2 the numbers are readable. UGGGGG!
Now back to the point is the fact that this morning, August 5th, I walked for 60 full minutes. The last ten were a lot slower than the rest of it. I was getting tired. But the satisfaction I felt when I finished was unbelievable. And that feelings is helping me get through the soreness in my legs I'm feeling.
I did it!!!
Now back to the point is the fact that this morning, August 5th, I walked for 60 full minutes. The last ten were a lot slower than the rest of it. I was getting tired. But the satisfaction I felt when I finished was unbelievable. And that feelings is helping me get through the soreness in my legs I'm feeling.
I did it!!!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
True Confessions
Ok, for anyone following this blog, it's probably not a secret that I'm not doing so well at following my program. The fact that I haven't blogged in weeks has probably made that very plain. I have maintained my weight loss and haven't gained, but have fluctuated up and down a couple pounds. Since my move my exercise routine has been sporadic. Especially the last two weeks. So instead of avoiding blogging because I'm feeling guilty, I'm admitting it. I'm going to start blogging no matter how good or bad I'm doing.
This morning I woke up just before 6 am. I have been having tummy troubles lately. So that has been my best excuse for not walking. This morning I kept talking myself out of walking and falling back to sleep. Finally at 6:45 I crawled out of bed, threw on some clothes and drove to the park. We do have the most gorgeous walking park not far from my house. It meanders through trees and you just feel like you are out in the middle of nowhere. I love it. However, I only went for 22 minutes before realizing I needed to quit and head home. It wasn't my usual 45 minutes, but it was better than staying in bed. Yeah for me!
This morning I woke up just before 6 am. I have been having tummy troubles lately. So that has been my best excuse for not walking. This morning I kept talking myself out of walking and falling back to sleep. Finally at 6:45 I crawled out of bed, threw on some clothes and drove to the park. We do have the most gorgeous walking park not far from my house. It meanders through trees and you just feel like you are out in the middle of nowhere. I love it. However, I only went for 22 minutes before realizing I needed to quit and head home. It wasn't my usual 45 minutes, but it was better than staying in bed. Yeah for me!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Danger
I found out this morning that working on new exercise equipment can be dangerous. I'm in Cheyenne, Wyoming this week. A friend had to come over for meeting, so I rode along. It's my last trip for a while, so I thought I'd take advantage of it. He went to his meeting this morning, and I headed to the fitness center at the motel.
They had two treadmills, a stepper and a bike. I love riding an exercise bike. The hardest part is figuring out the controls. I programmed a warm up which was seven minutes and kept going up in intensity. I love being able to program things cuz my bike has none of that. It broke a long ago and I can't even adjust the tension. After the warm up I put it on manual so I could do my intervals. I loved watching my speed and heart rate. I started out on intensity 2 and did the first one minute interval at 4. Then the next one was at 5 and I only went back to 3 for the regular part. Two just seemed too easy after the interval. I did a couple intervals at 5 and the last one was at 7 just to see if I could do it. I have learned I can do anything for either thirty seconds or a minute. When I got off the bike, I was on such a high. Exercise is addicting.
Now for the dangerous part. It's dangerous on my pocketbook. I want a new bike. I want one that I can program and change the intensity on. So all my change is going in a jar for a bike. I hope to have one by the time the weather gets yucky this fall and I can't walk outdoors.
They had two treadmills, a stepper and a bike. I love riding an exercise bike. The hardest part is figuring out the controls. I programmed a warm up which was seven minutes and kept going up in intensity. I love being able to program things cuz my bike has none of that. It broke a long ago and I can't even adjust the tension. After the warm up I put it on manual so I could do my intervals. I loved watching my speed and heart rate. I started out on intensity 2 and did the first one minute interval at 4. Then the next one was at 5 and I only went back to 3 for the regular part. Two just seemed too easy after the interval. I did a couple intervals at 5 and the last one was at 7 just to see if I could do it. I have learned I can do anything for either thirty seconds or a minute. When I got off the bike, I was on such a high. Exercise is addicting.
Now for the dangerous part. It's dangerous on my pocketbook. I want a new bike. I want one that I can program and change the intensity on. So all my change is going in a jar for a bike. I hope to have one by the time the weather gets yucky this fall and I can't walk outdoors.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
$85 and Five Minutes
A couple months ago on a bad weather day I went up to the rec center and walked ound their track. It takes 11 3/4 times around to equal a mile. It took me twenty-five minutes to walk that mile. My feet hurt, I was out of breath and it was a tough walk. I have tried to walk at least 3 days a week since then. I have to be honest and admit sometimes it is only two. Sometimes it was with my walking DVD in the house. Springtime in the Rockies isn't the best.
Tonight I decided to try a little test. I walked over to the middle school track which took 2:15. A mile there is only four times around. I started around the track. At the end of the first 1/4 a mile it was only 7:15. Pretty good. Amazingly enough I was pretty much able to keep up the pace the whole walk. The feet felt pretty good. At the end of the mile my stop watch read 22:17. That means I walked the mile in 20 minutes!
Now I will explain the rest of the title. Last weekend I went to Salt Lake City to look for a new pair of shoes. I'm the kind of person who used to go to Walmart for shoes. Then when I worked on my feet I started buying nicer shoes at Payless. A year ago I went to Sketchers in Park City and paid an outrageous amount for a pair of shoes. Two of us went in together cuz the special was buy one, get one half off. So I think they ended up being about $40. That seemed very high to me, but they were worth it. It was nice to go to work and not have my feet hurt. I can almost tell my weight by how my feet feel after a day of work. I knew last summer I had gained weight because my feet hurt, and I wasn't on them all day.
Two weeks ago a friend of Lala's brought me a pair of shoes. She said her Grandmother had given them to her, but they didn't fit. They are Reeboks and felt very nice on although they were obviously well worn. But what I liked the best was that they are very light shoes. I hadn't realized how heavy the sketchers are until then. So I ended up at New Balance in Salt Lake on Saturday.
The first thing they did was have me take off my shoes and walk over a gel-filled pad. Then she showed me the image that shows I have fallen arches (big surprise) and put a lot of weight on my big toes when I walk. She showed me several shoes. She also was able to explain the difference between the different kind of shoes such as walking, running, cross trainers, etc. She told me Sketchers are good shoes, but they are heavy. Well, my little 7 1/2 feet are now a size 8 1/2 D. She told me your feet can grow 1/2 a size every five years. I knew they were wide, I think that comes from all the years of going barefoot. At least that is what Mom always told me.
I finally settled on a these shoes. They actually felt better than the $95 dollar pair. Skeeter was with me, and helped encourage me. He told me it wasn't like I was buying shows to sit at an office desk or watch tv in. These shoes are an investment in my health, and I've proven I'm serious about the life style changes I've made. He even said he'd pay for them. So I bit the bullet and pulled out the debit card.
Since then I've taken a couple of walks in them and absolutely love them. My feet are tired when I get home. But they don't hurt the way they did. I know that is part of the reason I shaved five minutes off my time. By the third lap around the track I would slow down because my feet were hurting. So all in all, it was a good investment. Now we'll see how long they last.
Tonight I decided to try a little test. I walked over to the middle school track which took 2:15. A mile there is only four times around. I started around the track. At the end of the first 1/4 a mile it was only 7:15. Pretty good. Amazingly enough I was pretty much able to keep up the pace the whole walk. The feet felt pretty good. At the end of the mile my stop watch read 22:17. That means I walked the mile in 20 minutes!
Now I will explain the rest of the title. Last weekend I went to Salt Lake City to look for a new pair of shoes. I'm the kind of person who used to go to Walmart for shoes. Then when I worked on my feet I started buying nicer shoes at Payless. A year ago I went to Sketchers in Park City and paid an outrageous amount for a pair of shoes. Two of us went in together cuz the special was buy one, get one half off. So I think they ended up being about $40. That seemed very high to me, but they were worth it. It was nice to go to work and not have my feet hurt. I can almost tell my weight by how my feet feel after a day of work. I knew last summer I had gained weight because my feet hurt, and I wasn't on them all day.
Two weeks ago a friend of Lala's brought me a pair of shoes. She said her Grandmother had given them to her, but they didn't fit. They are Reeboks and felt very nice on although they were obviously well worn. But what I liked the best was that they are very light shoes. I hadn't realized how heavy the sketchers are until then. So I ended up at New Balance in Salt Lake on Saturday.
The first thing they did was have me take off my shoes and walk over a gel-filled pad. Then she showed me the image that shows I have fallen arches (big surprise) and put a lot of weight on my big toes when I walk. She showed me several shoes. She also was able to explain the difference between the different kind of shoes such as walking, running, cross trainers, etc. She told me Sketchers are good shoes, but they are heavy. Well, my little 7 1/2 feet are now a size 8 1/2 D. She told me your feet can grow 1/2 a size every five years. I knew they were wide, I think that comes from all the years of going barefoot. At least that is what Mom always told me.
I finally settled on a these shoes. They actually felt better than the $95 dollar pair. Skeeter was with me, and helped encourage me. He told me it wasn't like I was buying shows to sit at an office desk or watch tv in. These shoes are an investment in my health, and I've proven I'm serious about the life style changes I've made. He even said he'd pay for them. So I bit the bullet and pulled out the debit card.
Since then I've taken a couple of walks in them and absolutely love them. My feet are tired when I get home. But they don't hurt the way they did. I know that is part of the reason I shaved five minutes off my time. By the third lap around the track I would slow down because my feet were hurting. So all in all, it was a good investment. Now we'll see how long they last.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The Worst Part of theFlu
I had a couple grandkids start to get a stomach bug or 'flu' as we all call it this weekend. Monday morning I woke up feeling awful. I got ready and headed to work because most of the time as the day goes on, I feel better. After an hour, I knew it was time to head home before I lost what little I had for breakfast all over my desk. I got home, ate a couple of soda crackers and headed to bed. And all I did for the next 24 hours was sleep and wake up to run to the bathroom. There was a time when I thought I was going to have to get better to die.
Yesterday I took the day off again. I have a few sick days at work, so I figured it was better to use one and try to rest up and get totally better. By last night I was a lot better, and then it hit me! With being sick both Monday and Tuesday, I hadn't done my walking. And this was the week that I was to start with a 28 minutes walk with two minutes of it running. Wow, to think that the worst thing I could think of was that I had missed my workout. What a change I've made.
So I went to work and thought all day about what time I'd get the walk done. I have found it is so much easier to get it done right after work. So I hurried home, changed my clothes, grabbed a drink and my mp3 player and headed up the road. Oh, I also grabbed the leash and Buster cuz he was loose again. I love walking cuz I can take a different route. Today I did right to the light before I crossed the road cuz I figured that would be easier. And there is a tiny little up and downhill under the freeway which was kind of fun. As I got back to the baseball fields, I jogged through the parking lot. I've got to figure out a better way to keep track of the time. I wore two stop watches thinking that would work. But I had to stop and check the one when I got tired to see how long I'd jogged. I might have to find a countdown timer that I can set for two minutes and start it when I'm ready.
Now here is where any of you help me. Are there any of you out there reading this? Hello, can I hear you breathing? I'm not sure actually. But if anybody is reading this, please give me your ideas on how to best time a two minutes run in the middle of a walk.
Yesterday I took the day off again. I have a few sick days at work, so I figured it was better to use one and try to rest up and get totally better. By last night I was a lot better, and then it hit me! With being sick both Monday and Tuesday, I hadn't done my walking. And this was the week that I was to start with a 28 minutes walk with two minutes of it running. Wow, to think that the worst thing I could think of was that I had missed my workout. What a change I've made.
So I went to work and thought all day about what time I'd get the walk done. I have found it is so much easier to get it done right after work. So I hurried home, changed my clothes, grabbed a drink and my mp3 player and headed up the road. Oh, I also grabbed the leash and Buster cuz he was loose again. I love walking cuz I can take a different route. Today I did right to the light before I crossed the road cuz I figured that would be easier. And there is a tiny little up and downhill under the freeway which was kind of fun. As I got back to the baseball fields, I jogged through the parking lot. I've got to figure out a better way to keep track of the time. I wore two stop watches thinking that would work. But I had to stop and check the one when I got tired to see how long I'd jogged. I might have to find a countdown timer that I can set for two minutes and start it when I'm ready.
Now here is where any of you help me. Are there any of you out there reading this? Hello, can I hear you breathing? I'm not sure actually. But if anybody is reading this, please give me your ideas on how to best time a two minutes run in the middle of a walk.
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