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| You burn 456 calories. | |
| If you jog at 5.5 mph (approx. 9 km/h) for 30 minutes you will burn 456 calories. |
Ya know... that sounds kind of high... but whatever, I'll take it! As stated in many post, I generally suck at running. But I usually run at a 6.0 mph/10 minute mile pace... for 30 minutes. So, by this calculators' standards, I'm burning around 500 calories... I guess that's possible.
It's always a guestimation even on the calculator's part right? Back in Phoenix, when I was going through my 1,000cal day workouts, it would generally take me about 73-75 minutes. So 1 hour and 15 minutes to get to 1,000 calories burned. That's using the different cardio machines calculations though. Whatever.
I've been doing paced runs this week so far, but next week I think I'm going to focus on interval runs again. I did do a 10 minute set of intervals yesterday and today within that 30 minutes, but not as intense. I'm also working on breathing ladders so that I can get my lungs up to speed and in shape sooner. Also doing some sipping exercises to help open up my lung capacity.
It's interesting when you've been running for 20 minutes and you're still going at a really good pace... and you yawn.
Leah would yawn during Spin classes and the instructor would always think that she wasn't working out hard enough. But really... it was just that she had more control of her breathing. She didn't go into that uncontrolled 'panic' mode of breathing which is really inefficient.
Anyways. Enough Talk. No running tomorrow. But Saturday, it's on.
I must preface this entry with saying that I did squats last Saturday. I haven't really done squats since... I think 1999. So a loooong time. The reason for this is because they're hard, or rather, they take a lot of effort. I always just took the easy lazy route and did ANY other leg machine, as long as it wasn't doing squats. Anyways, I did squats last Saturday. (I still took the easier route because I did them on the Smith machine where the bar is locked into place, and only goes up and down.) My legs started cramping about halfway through the routine cause they were tired, but I finished. I was sore all Sunday. I was slightly better this morning, so I still ran and did my interval cardio workout. Now, my legs are dead. Well, my quads are dead, but in a good way.
I can tell it's in a good way partly because only my quad muscles are sore in each leg. Not the joints/tendons/connecting tissue, and definitely not any of my hip area. So it's a good sore, meaning that the microscopic tears in muscle are focused in my quads, meaning that they'll grow and add to my metabolism. :-)
I ran today though. I run in 10 minute sets.
At this point the breathing part is easy. It's actually the muscle/mechanics of it gets tiring.
Anyways. I'll post tomorrow with my food journal and update picture.
Oh yeah. I joined this workout/health/fitnees LJ community:
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framewerksand it should be good. Cause they don't use some odd point system, and they're just... workingout and posting pictures and keeping track and generally a healthier/more supportive way of tracking everything than when I did during that 26 days. I suggest anyone to look into them if they're truly interested and want to make more of a commitment. Please understand that this won't be the group for thinspiration, or anything of the sort. We want to look good, but health is the top focus and there is an understanding that a great body is the by-product of great eating and exercise (health), and it is in that order that we focus our energies.
Ah so... it's been a while, and I've been gone... mostly to my real life other LJ, but still... not really focusing on exercise and health and weight and fitness in general. However, we're back. I'm back. I've joined a gym down the street. This past week was the 2nd week straight that I've been working out.
Basically I wake up at 5:05 am, then workout for 30 minutes, then get back home, get ready and go off to work. I can do this at least 5 days a week, and then sometimes, if I'm lucky, I can go again on one of the weekend days. During my '26 days' all I did was run and did ab work, trying to drop as much weight as possible. I had been lifting consistently for many months up until then, but then I just wanted to see how much pure weight I could drop, and just generally be as thin as possible. Plus, I knew that I wouldn't lose too much muscle in the 26 days. More fat. And I lost a lot of it. Roughly 12 lbs of fat, and a total of 15 lbs at final weigh in. The pictures are in the previous entries.
However since then I've mvoed to Atlanta, gained the 15 back, except since I gained it without any exercise, it's pure fat. I still technically fit into my clothes, I just don't like the way I fit in them now, nor do I like how I feel. I mean this at a cellular/blood in my veins level. It might all be in my head, but when I have just eaten fatty foods, or even beer, I can feel it flowing in my veins, and just saturating the cells in my skin... it's gross.
So. Now it's time to rebuild muscle as the focus, and then slowly, very slowly lose the fat.... because that's really the order of things for a guy trying to lose weight and get thinner... build muscle... and then you can really trim the extra fat. It's not an exact balance, but as you build more muscle more fat is lost, even though actual weight may not be much. Which is how even at my recent Lowest weight of 175, I probably looked about 15 lbs lighter.
Now these past two week's I've been trying to get back into exercise shape condition. Now that I feel better... I'm gonna start charting the progress. Well, starting tomorrow. Tomorrow morning will be the weigh in. Tomorrow morning I'm gonna start tracking all of my food intake.Today I have to prepare for tomorrow.
But you know, unlike before, I am working, and I'm going to school, and I'm living with my girlfriend, and I have house duties and just... a busy life... I'm going to start Mandarin lessons once a week too. So, workingout isn't the focus of my day this time around, but it's in there. I have to make time for it and that's why it's the very first thing I do everyday, cause otherwise I'd never get it done.
Pictures will come soon, eventually. Just when I feel like I'm closer to where I want to be... until then, I'll just have to stare at my numbers and stats.
Talk to you tomorrow.
So. I still can't join a gym (the fees here are insane, $50 a month? What?!) but I really need to get back on track. So... it's back to moderation... as in eating 'right' and proper portions and then also, exercising just a little bit everyday. Aw man. Just a little? I can't go all out? Not in the shape I'm in right now... I'm gonna have to work to get to that point...
So... I figure I can keep track of my food again, and be pretty strict in that area... it's the exercising where I'll have to work at, since I don't have a gym membership. So I have to be all creative and put effort into it, as opposed to the gym where I just press buttons, the machine makes me run or move or something, and then I magically drop weight.
Running outside f'in sucks.
Oh... and I need to do ab work again. Man. I really miss having decent abs.
Anyways. Back in the game.
Oh no. I gained 5 lbs. No really. I weigh 5 lbs more in the morning. It's been...almost two weeks since I finished the 26 days and I'm surprised it took me this long... kinda weird though... I thought I gained it sooner than now. Maybe I need a good cleaning? Ha! You know, I probably have like 10 lbs of feces just sitting there in my guts and umm... that's gross. Hm. i don't think I'll ever really get myself to go get one of those colonics. Yeah. Well, maybe. I'm really a 'in the mood' type of person, so who knows.
Anyways, my current eating is just to eat my really boring (but I still like them, however I know that it's not going to last much longer before I move onto a new food) peanut butter & banana sandwiches (whole wheat bread.) That's practically all I eat during the day (granted, I eat like 5-6 of them, but even still that's only roughly 350 calories, and all of them are 'good' calories, with the complex carbs in the bread and fruit, and then peanut butter the magical food. (I am amazed at how much peanut butter I ate (I think I went through 4 large jars during that 26 days) and still lost weight.
Oh. But something I started doing last week was daily yoga. Like a whole yoga class practically, and it's a good one too. I go to YogaToday.com and download/stream their daily yoga class. It's pretty cool. I don't go to actual classes because I can't pay $10-$15 per class, but this is like a whole class with the instructor talking the whole time and guiding you. I really like it. It really helps me with my breathing, especially since I'm generally a really shallow breather (happens when I sit at a desk all day) and so this gets me breathing down to my stomach.
Plus I also neglected doing any real stretching last month, so I'm trying to cath up a little and get back to level. I used to do my own 20 minute yoga routine that did a pretty good job of physically keeping my limber/stretched, but I never focused on 'the breath' like you're supposed to when doing yoga. Yesterday we did some good rapid fire breathing and opened up our 6th chakra and umm... yeah, I liked it. (whether or not you or I believe in the chakras...)
Keep going folks! I haven't decided what my next weightloss/exercise program will be but it won't be a gym. I figure at $30 per month x 12 = $360 ? Is that right? Plus the time commitment to going there and everything else? It's just not... I'm not really in the mood this year. I've been a gym member for probably the last 4 years. I didn't ever really do anything that made progress until my 26 day project. I was too casual about going to the gym and it didn't make an impact.
I'm going to figure out some sort of home workout program. At least now that I'm Georgia, I can run outside. I mean, I could run outside in Arizona except it's really too hot 80% of the year, and then at the time, I lived in a bad part of town (cheap rent!) and I wouldn't go running out there. So I can still run, and my neighborhood is really a good place to run, and I even see other people running. (You never really see that at all in Phoenix.) I live down the street from St. Agnes College for women and Downtown Decatur. It's... a generally good area that I'm in with some poor streets, but still.
Anyways... let's go.
Anyways... we made it to Atlanta (well, technically Decatur) and it's pretty cool, or rather... REALLY COLD! Especially compared to Phoenix! But yeah, that was a crazy 26 days, and I did look pretty great at the end of it. Part of the reason I did it was also to prepare for what ended up being 4 days of driving across country (because of that BIG ice storm/freeze over most of Texas, we had to reroute) and well, gas station food just isn't healthy at all. I will admit that I also ate food that I hadn't eaten for YEARS on the trip just because well... because I could. I had Pringles chips for the first time in probably 5 years. Ha. I even ate TWO stacks of them. I know. 900 calories a pop. But then on the last two days I switched to sunflower seeds as my driving food to keep me awake. Even though they're bad, they're no where near Pringles or any other chips.
It's f'in cold here and there's no way I'm going outside to run. The house is a mess and we've just been eating out (sushi!) and oh well. Actually, I haven't gained any weight oddly enough. I've probably lost some muscle which accounts for the steady weight, even though it's a shift in mass from muscle to fat... and I've lost some definition, but my clothes still fit loose so that's good. I'm just trying to eat boring (what I ate during my 26 days) while I can, and then eat 'normally' when I go out with my girlfriend for dinner, or to dinner with new friends/people here in ATL.
So. I also finally got the internet hooked up today so now I can read your guys' LJ's and post and ummm... comment.
Oh, and to Theresa... ha.. yeah, I started that website a while back, just before I came up with the 26 days project and then they were gonna tie in together somehow but then I ran out of time to really give it the energy it needed... I really should just take it down again and re-work it... it's always in the works just like me though.
Talk to you folks later.
I'm done. 26,000 calories in 26 days. I'll write more. I'm packing and cleaning and I'm about to drive for 3 days, Phoenix to Atlanta. I should get back to that. I'll post more thoughts on this soon. I'm just... I'm proud of myself for finishing. More like a humble proud, not my usual I rock proud...
1,000 calories
32 minutes - treadmill jogging
43 minutes - treadclimber
Alright. So. Um. Now what? Yeah. You know. That's awesome. That's all I gotta say.
1,000 calories
31 minutes - treadclimber
32 minutes - treadmill jogging
I think that I am ready for a different type of workout now. I'm quite sure my body got used to this a while back, but even though I'm sure I'm technically not burning '1,000' calories now, it's still a good benchmark, and actually doing it everyday is still a good challenge. Besides, how much could my body have compensated from 25 days ago? So I'm sure that it's still going me good. Plus since I've mostly let go of trying to burn so many calories more than what I eat, the calorie difference isn't my focus anymore. It's more just that I finish this. That I accomplish this silly goal I've set out to do. Because I'm afraid that if I can't even finish this, then I might not finish my schooling when I start up again this year.
If I can't keep a 26 day commitment, how do I think I'll keep up with a 2 year commitment. Granted, it's not an EVERYDAY 2 year commitment, but I've quit school so many times, and just taken so many 'breaks' that it might as well be an everyday commitment considering how difficult it is for me to finish it. So that's another reason why I set out to do this and why I'm still going.
Because the thought has been turned over and over in my head, maybe I'll just stop, I'm tired tonight. It would take lots of effort to make it to the gym tonight, and everytime I make myself go. Even when it's technically freezing cold (for phoenix! ha) and I know that on saturday night at 8pm, I'm one of the very few people there. But it's been good, just trying to schedule my day around this and then making this a priority.
I know my legs will feel much better once I'm done. I'll be taking a break of course, since I'm driving for 3 days to Atlanta, and then I have unpack/find a job/ move in. However, I think I do have my next workout project lined up. I'm still considering what I'll do, but I don't think I'll be joining a gym anytime soon. I'm kind of bored with the gym set up. I'm looking into something a lot different and with more variation. But until I start that up, I'll make sure I do yoga everyday.
Two more days and I'm getting caught up on these entries. (In case you didn't keep up, I generally post a day after the actual day. Sometimes I get two days behind.)
Let's go.
1,000 calories
32 minutes - treadmill jogging
42 minutes - treadclimber
So. It's gotten down to these last few days and I'm behind schedule on getting things ready for the move to Atlanta on Thursday. (I wouldn't be behind except there's just SO much stuff... and sorting out what I can take and CAN'T take because of space... is hard for a packrat like me.) Anyways. I've practically been living on peanut butter and banana sandwiches, oh, and coffee. And I guess some chicken and rice, but not too much since that takes more than 5 minutes to make. ha. Oh yeah, I DID add sweet potatoes to my plate. Not the canned ones, but I actually went through the produce section and picked some up. They're sweet enough and filling enough to satisfy me. I know, I know, they're also full of carbs. But they're all complex carbs, and that's really all I eat these days what with my whole wheat bread sandwiches also. Plus, it's keeping me going since I'm not truly getting enough sleep.
The connection joint for both of my big toes are kind of sore. Not really the actual joint, but more the tendons in there. Mostly just when I'm on the treadclimber and that 'walking' motion forces more toe movement. Oh yeah, and my quads are generally tired. Walking around walmart, walking up the stairs, running 3 miles. Just tired. Fatigued.
And so... I gotta finish. Almost there. And I gotta pack. And I gotta CLEAN the apartment. (which includes scrubbing walls and EVERYTHING and then mopping everything. YOu'd think that would count towards my 1,000 calorie burn but no... I won't do that.)
Tomorrow. Let's go.
1,000 calories
32 minutes - treadmill jogging
36 minutes - treadclimber
Ya know, today wasn't as hard as yesterday. At least not in the same way. The hardest part was actually making sure I got the workout into my schedule. I ate dinner with my family (which is always risky), but I somehow kept myself to not eating any rice, and just filled up on chicken and green beans. Yeah. I know. I'm amazed too! Even though I'll admit that I did eat enough to almost make me full. Which means that I could feel it in my stomach (sometimes I eat and I don't feel anything in there at all, those are great times!) Then I noticed the time and realized that I would make it to the gym 1.5 hours later. So. I downed half a gallon of water in 30 minutes, then before I actually got home, i stopped by walmart and walked around shopping for um, more food I think. So that walking helped. (Also, making sure I downed the water as fast as possible allowed me enough time to pass it cause that helps with my digestion A LOT.) So then I didn't really feel full of food at all when I went to work out.
However, during my 2nd 16 minutes on the treadmill, all the bouncing caused what food I had pushed down, to start to come up a little. At least I started feeling sick... so... well... I wasn't about to stop running. My breathing has been great, my muscles were good.. the only thing that sucked was that my stomach was feeling full again... and well, I felt like I might vomit. So what to do? See, I run in the back of the treadmill rows, and at one end there is a water fountain and small trash can.
I stopped, grabbed the trashcan and placed it over by my treadmill. Yeah. That's what I did. Just in case I had to vomit while running, I could easily stop and grab the trashcan and well, throw up there. Luckily, I just kept my pace and didn't go any harder so I never had to do that.
Anyways... after jogging, the treadclimber was easy going.
Reposted from GymJones.com:
What you know does not matter - what you do matters. Physical training produces physical memories - not simply muscle memory but a psychophysical imprint, knowledge that is instinctual rather than intellectual. This is useful knowledge. Automatic (instinctive) action and reaction is always faster and more energy efficient than intellectually induced action or reaction. There's already plenty to think about in confrontational situations so any response that does not require conscious thought spares intellectual energy for decisions and actions that do demand it. Train yourself to the point that particular, common actions and responses may be executed automatically.
Any deficiency in physical fitness affects confidence. When an individual realizes he does not have the fitness or skill to accomplish a particular task, or that he cannot use his tools to their utmost self-doubt weakens both intellectual and physical abilities. Flagging confidence limits flexibility, preventing appropriate adaptation to various situations. Confidence allows the audacity of original thought. Again, train such a variety of energy systems (types of fitness) that confidence in the face of any challenge is reflexive.
Strength + Confidence + Flexibility = Strategy (the ability to use it).
Physical fitness relative to the mountain environment or to any situation (physical and psychological) can have positive or negative effects on the individual, his teammates, and the overall strategy chosen to accomplish a particular goal. Get fit and stay fit to accomplish a variety of tasks. The goal of physical training can be summed up in one phrase, “to make yourself as indestructible as possible.” The harder a man is to kill, the longer he will remain effective, as a climber, a soldier, or what ever.
Because exercising for me isn't simply to lose weight, but also to gain mastery over an area of 'myself', I believe that it allows me to transfer success from one area, to the rest of my life. That's why I go all out, it's my gateway to a better life, and obviously I cannot blame anyone other than myself if I fail, no excuses, no woe is me.
So. I'm sitting here feeling bad about how I've been eating 'normal' (which of course by "our" standards (us people who are reading this) isn't that much anyways), and I just... as much as I think it's silly for other people to stress and phreak out about eating 'normal', I know that i do it also. I mean. After having that mostly empty feeling in your stomach for so long, for so often... when it gets full you just... you feel sick. You've seen the post. Someone ate a normal portion and since it's more than a bite... they feel sick... so that's me lately... well... today. Well. Really it's me after dinner. Man! My will power sucks bad when I eat anywhere else except my house.
So Yeah. I realize that I'm only at around 800 calories for the day and it's already 12noon, so I'm technically on track... but it's gnawing at me. Mainly because I'm going bowling today with my family. AND I know they'll get french fries. And we all know MarkRoX CANNOT RESIST French Fries. Ahhh... maybe today I will. Maybe I'm neurotic enough today that I'll be able to keep my hands away from them. Maybe. Plus there's my added stress about how I might get distracted and not make it to the gym. Argh. ARGH! Okay nevermind that. I'm GOING TO THE GYM tonight. Or Else. Ha. Or Else? Yes! Or ELSE Dammit!
Anyways... how many days left? 5? Hm. Exciting.... man! I'm such a girl! Shut up! ha. I bang hot chicks! Back off!
1,000 calories:
48 minutes - treadmill jogging
11 minutes - treadclimber
It was again really hard to get through this workout. At least the last half. I wasn't up for it. I mean... during the last section, I was totally about to not go over to the treadclimber to finish the last 200 calories. Instead I was going to just decide to come back later tonight and do another session. But then I realized that's stupid and it would just waste more time. Time that I would rather spend with my family. SO. Even though I TRULY DID NOT WANT TO, I sucked it up and stay for that extra 11 minutes. Crazy how that is. I was totally ready to give up and not stay for just 11 more minutes because I wasn't in the mood to do this right then. I might have made that deal with myself in the past (about coming back later that night) but I guess not right now. I can't make dumb decisions like that with my time right now. I need to just stay on track and of course this last part is going to be the hardest (other than the very beginning.) I mean, everday I'm just thinking, what if I quit today?
Then I realize... no... there's no way I'm quitting. That's... I just can't. I won't... ha. Just a few more days anyways.
Oh. The snack bar was mysteriously closed. So no french fry temptation at all today. Yay.
Anyways. Tomorrow is another day.
1,000 calories burned.
20 minutes - treadclimber
32 minutes - treadmill jogging
10 minutes - treadclimber
Back on track today! Yeah! I was planning on going back in the evening but it didn't work out. I could have pushed and gotten it in there time-wise, but then I realized that I didn't have any clean workout clothes. It's actually kind of sad. I only have two workout shirts now and one pair of shorts that I like to workout in. So I wash them everyday. I know. Not exactly the best as far as water/energy conservation goes. Oh well. I'm trying to look good remember? ha.
I ate well today too. I didn't deviate at all from my foods. This is mainly because I didn't go hangout with anyone else. I just kinda stayed home waiting for people to come over and buy my furniture. (which by the way, was a complete failure. everyone either didn't buy or rescheduled. sucks!)
I can feel the end. Or maybe I'm just too distracted because the end of this means that I'm moving the next day. So I have LOTS to get done before I finish this 26 days. In fact, I'm probably spending too much time focusing on this instead of making sure I'm ready to move when my girlfriend flys back into town so we can drive down to Atlanta. Yeah. That's why no one except you people reading about this right now, knows that I'm doing this. I need to finish and telling some people about this would just cause more trouble than it's worth. I mean, there's something to be said about telling everyone about your plans so that you have that social pressure to follow through... but a lot of times your friends/family are the WORST people to motivate you.
Not because they want you to fail (although some really do) but I think a large part is that your goals are not their goals, so it couldn't possibly be as important to them as it is to you. Ya know? Yeah. So. Here we go.
None?
Okay so... I didn't get to go to the gym today. I know. Shocked huh? Crazy huh? I am... part of me feels bad but then part of me doesn't. My legs are tired and I know I'll be better having rested. I also didn't go because I had people scheduled to come over and buy furniture all day long (or just at inconvenient times) so I didn't really get a chance to go. Although I will admit... I never lost that nagging feeling/anxiety. I mean... I've been doing this for 19 days now ya know? So that means I really only have 7 more days. I think I'm technically caught up though because I did two days of 2k. So Christmas is covered, and then today is covered. However it would be nice to come out ahead of my original calorie goal. That would be cool. I mean... 1,000 calories did get easier to burn after a while. Obviously I made some gains and got in better shape. Now it's just a mental game with me, trying not to just give up and stop because of boredom.
I don't know... I'll see how it goes tomorrow right? Right. But still... It's starting to sink in that I'm getting really close to finishing this 26 days. Awesome huh? Ha. This will be cool at the end.
- Music:Dj Jean - The Launch
1,000 calories burned:
Ah... I like this picture of me... I think I look younger in it than the other ones. Mainly because I didn't take it at 530 in the morning. I took it later in the day AFTER my mid-day nap. Yeah. I'm rested in this picture. Ha. Oh and another thing, you have to realize that I only post the 'best' pictures of me. It usually takes about 5 shots to find one decent enough to post AFTER editing it ya know? I mean, in real life I don't think my abs 'pop' as much as they do in these photos. I wish they did though.
I'm currently selling a lot of my furniture, getting ready to move to Atlanta next week. I don't think I'll be able to run tomorrow. But I'll make it up the next day. Plus, I think my legs are really fatigued. Not just tired, but fatigued. There is a slight difference ya know? Anyways... trying to make it to the end of these 26 days. Boredom is really getting to me lately. I've lost about 10lbs so far. I would probably would have lost more except I keep deviating from my diet. Luckily it's good food, and It's always with people I really care about, like hanging out with my family for dinner, or with friends I won't see anymore once I move out of state. So it's not like I'm eating junk food, or because I'm just bored and need to stuff something in my mouth. (The usual reason for eating badly.)
So I don't feel too bad that I've only lost 10 lbs in 18 days. Even though I was planning on almost double that. Ha. I guess technically I have 7 more days left. Hmmm... I think I'll aim for close to 5 lbs more. But if I don't make it... I won't be too bummed. I know that I didn't make it not because I didn't exercise enough, but because I having too good a time hanging out with my friends and family.
But ya know... once I get situated in Atlanta, 165 is going to be my goal. I haven't been 165lbs since the fall of 1997. That was the first time I lost a ton of weight, going from 240lbs down to 150 lbs in FOUR months. But I was all skin and bones. Now I'm going to get down to 165 with a good deal of muscle. I just... I want to see what it feels like to be at that weight with my body composition as it is now ya know? I may not like it even, of course that's pretty unlikely. Ha.
Goodnight.
1,000 calories burned
60 minutes - treadclimber
Legs were kind of fatigued (as opposed to just tired) today so I took it easy and only did the treadclimber. (Lots less stress on my knees/joints/quads.) Today was... because it was the treadclimber the entire time, I had to concentrate on not losing focus and really just not giving up and going home. For these last few weeks I've kind of forgotten how boring/mind numbing cardio can get when you're not really being challenged. Even though I was going faster on the treadclimber than I have before, I just wasn't really into it today. I guess that's part of the whole thing though with working out, doing it and pushing through the really tough times when you don't feel like working out ya know?
ABS:
My original intention when I started this was that I wasn't going to do any weight lifting. I was going to do ONLY cardio. However after a few days I decided that I would still do some ab work. I'm kind of proud of my abs even though like everyone else, even I can find imperfection when I look at my abs. I'll let you in on a secret. I'm actually pretty lazy. That laziness shows in my abs. Notice how it's not really a six pack? It's really just a 4.5 pack. I don't have the bottom two well developed because I don't do any lower ab work. I used to do leg raises...and since I was lazy and didn't add the 'curl' at the end of them, they really just worked my hip flexors, but they did help develop my iliac furrow (those two lines going diagonally inward.)
Anyways, about every 3 days I find that I have time at the end of my workout to do abs. I use the weighted ab machines. I used to do the ab-roller type crunches but I never got really great results until I went to the weight ab machines. At this time I only do two things. I do the weighted seated crunches, and I do wood chopping with the cable crossover machine. The seated crunches really work the front six pax (mainly just the upper four) and then the wood chopping action really tightens the intercostals and the whole side of my abdomen, making everything just really tight.
So yeah. I guess I run and do ab work.
Just another day.
"So... Yeah... Ummm... was feeling that slight panic of there's so much to do (which you can feel even if you're on track) but then... I came back down. A few things ran through my head... I read NonProfit's LJ post, and that made me feel better. But then also... I just started doing things. Started cleaning some more, started taking the rest of the pictures to post on craigslist... well.. and then I started about how I feel when I run... I f'in rock at running now. (Well for me, which is a lot since I've never been a good 'runner'.) I just.. these days when I run... I'm this sort of f'in running machine and I compete with other people in the gym. (Sure they don't know it.) If they're running close enough and I can see their speed/incline... I'll race them. I'll match them and go faster even. Yeah. It's kinda funny. Most of the time though I'm just running in the back alone... and then I'm just in my own head, thinking, concentrating on breathing... and these days... I get to this spot where... my thoughts are so focused, my inner monologue is really conversing with me that I feel slightly separate from my body. Connected to both parts, but they are definitely separated. Running becomes more about controlling my thoughts and focus, and less about how tired my body is.
I kind of reach this place just short of euphoria. Yeah. I know how it sounds, me waxing metaphysical and such about running but... that's how it is for me. I actually reach this place. Where the music, my steps, my body, and my thoughts are in line and... glowing. I used to think that it was just about me being in control of my body and thoughts, but that's no longer the main thing for me. What I really like is how more than anything else I do... when I run, everything is greater. My thoughts are clearer, my body functions like an incredible physical machine, and with each milestone/goal that I surpass (minutes, speed, distance) I just add more reasons proving why I can do anything. Because for me, running is 1st a mental struggle and 2nd a physical struggle... just like everything else in life."
1,100 Calories Burned:
60 minutes - Treadmill Jogging
Yeah. I ran pretty hard today. My legs will probably be sore tomorrow. Just a few thoughts, during the 3rd & 4th sessions ( I run in 15 minutes sessions.) it became increasingly difficult to keep focus. It really took effort. Also, during the 2nd run I got a side stitch. You know, that pain you get in the side of your abdomen when you're running and not breathing enough? But of course I'm too stubborn to stop. What do I do? I start breathing deep and hard... breathing with muscular effort. Sucking air in and then pushing it out, trying to get enough oxygen into my gut so that the stitch goes away. It really doesn't go away during that run, but it doesn't get any worse.
Yeah. That was a difficult run.
Approximately 1600 calories burned.
6 mile hike.
4.5 miles -treadmill running
So I went on a 6 mile hike with my brother and sister this morning. Mathematically that should be around 1,000 calories... but we'll just say it's around 800 or something. Anyways... then I went home a a few hours later I went to the gym and ran for a while. Good stuff. Actually... considering this is the after drinking 5 beers and having several shots the night before... well... actually.. the higher calorie count may have helped me a lot. Because I was a f'in running machine at the gym. Strong too. Even after having hiked 6 miles earlier in the day.
Crazy huh? Well actually I have known that I've been a lot lower on the calorie count than I should be. Especially for how much I'm working out. But you know it's hard to keep track of everything and not try to just get lower and lower on the calories. At least make them equal. For example, I'll eat around 2k calories... but I'll run off 2k calories... so then... I'm at zero for the day... cool huh? But I was never really good at running on completely empty... so... but the zig-zag calorie routine is actually really good for tricking your body and not letting it get used to things and having the metabolism slow down.
Anyways... tomorrow... even more running huh? Yes of course.
1,000 calories burned - Ha. Look at my face... I'm SO not awake.
20 minutes - treadclimber
40 minutes - treadmill jogging
I had planned on going for another session in the evening just before going out to meet my ex-co-workers for a night of drinks. (Yes, I know... that almost guarantees that I'd go over my calorie count, but I'm not THAT insane yet... I really really liked working with these people.) I didn't really get much sleep the night before, but I still got up to do the morning workout. It was a seriously difficult session, my eyes were really tired, even if my body wasn't. Somehow I pushed through and got back home. I tried to take a nap practically all day long but I kept getting interrupted. (I'm selling all my furniture on craigslist, and several times people came over to buy things.) so I never got to take my nap and make up for lost sleep. So I was already fatigued... but I was going to go through with my evening workout and then try to sleep for a bit before going out that night...
Immune System/Nutrition
Then I got dressed... and... these days, because of how much I pay attention to how I look, and how my body operates/runs from food I eat and exercise... I can sort of feel my immune system. Sounds funny, but it's true. If you know me, you'd know that I often say that I have an Award Winning Immune System! This is because I rarely (like less than once a year) get sick. Seriously. I attribute this to generally not eating trans-fats (partially hydrogenated oils), and getting enough antioxidants. I have it in my head that I'm immune to cancer. It's not that I'm genetically immune, it's that I take in enough antioxidants that there is no F'in way I'm going to get cancer.
SO. I never get sick. I'm intune with my body enough to know when I'm coming down with something, however my immune system is strong enough that I can STOP, SLEEP, REST, and the illness is sent packing. I'm talking about deep sleep where I'm just OUT. Usually It takes anywhere between 3-8 hours of sleep. So either a long nap, or just overnight. This works for me.
Major reasons why I don't want to be sick isn't because I feel like garbage when I'm sick. It's because I can't afford to be sick. I can't miss work (I have to use sick days for ummmm... anything else but being sick...) and if I am sick, that means that I can't work out. So when I'm getting sick and I have to miss a workout, I MUST REST or else I will miss even more days. See how that works? So no second workout today.
