Weekly Workout Thread 21st August to 28th August

[Mara]

Worked out tonite...and then when I got home I did 150 jumping jacks and then stretched out. Felt pretty good...tomorrow I am going to the gym to do the treadmill hill program. Re: the whole elliptical vs treadmill thing, it''s always way more taxing for me to do a full body elliptical...I am SO not a fan of elliptical! The treadmill gets a sweat going and it feels good, I feel like I am ''stretching'' my legs more which I like. I definitely have noticed a ''butt'' improvement since I started doing the whole hill program. Tomorrow night we''re going to dinner with my family to Italian, yikes....I''ll try to be good. hehee. Garlic bread..mmmm. So I will try to work extra hard tomorrow at the gym before dinner. Tonite for dinner I had a can of Dennisons turkey chili which was pretty healthy and has lots of fiber and protein...and put a little cheese on it. YUM!

Thanks for the clarifications Lizzie...I definitely wanna try the workout soon to shake things up!

 

[TravelingGal]

Whoowhee...I am just tired (and hungry) from reading this thread!

Good to hear everyone is still going strong. I am on a business trip AGAIN. Managed to run for an hour on the treadmill tonight and do a bit of weights. I wasn''t all that good this weekend when it came to eating...but I wasn''t all that bad either!

I think I was close to my goal last week of burning 2500 cal with exercise, as I did 5 workouts - 3 of which were an hour and a half long. My goal this week is to work out every night in some way, shape or form while I am on this business trip. And to alternate wine with pellegrino (what is it about business trips that drive people to drink so much? Maybe prolonged exposure to coworkers? Hmmm...)

 

[coda72]

I didn''t workout yesterday, but I plan on running probably a short run tonight. I think I''m overtraining because about 2 miles into my run on Sunday all the muscles in my legs just started killing me! I had to stop running and walk for a while to let them calm down. So my 8 mile run turned into a 4 mile run. I took last night off to get some more rest. Tonight will be a 3 or 5 mile run. I think I will be doing short distance runs all this week to give my legs a break. I don''t like having to do this with the half marathon only 3 weeks away, but I feel like I could really injure myself if I keep going at the pace I was doing.

Keep up with the running, Rod. It really is a great form of exercise, and if you''re careful, you won''t get injured doing it. And along those lines, I''ll add my 2 cents to the debate between the elliptical and running. I''ve read that running burns the most calories. The elliptical may be lower impact, but it doesn''t burn the calories like running does.

Aussiegirl, the heart rate monitor I just bought is the Polar RS200sd. If you''re starting to run, this is probably the best one. It gives time, speed, distance in addition to heart rate. It''s made for runners. It costs around $200. Here''s a link for it. If it works, you should get 10% off the purchase price which brings it to just over $200 with shipping.

http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/product/product.jsp?id=CIU115&pfrc=8&sc=CDM-06139&PartnerName=Shoppingcom&NG_urlID=8998824

Have a great workout week, everyone!

 

[jcrow]

i haven''t been following this thread too much cause i wasn''t doing so well with my workouts. i didn''t workout last thurs or fri or mon (yesterday). but today i headed to the gym. i ran for 10 minutes (up from 7) and 2 of those minutes were on 2 incline. my total time on the treadmill was 30 minutes and i burned 300 calories. sigh...

 

[Rod]

Date: 8/22/2006 7:51:53 AM
Author: jcrow
i haven''t been following this thread too much cause i wasn''t doing so well with my workouts. i didn''t workout last thurs or fri or mon (yesterday). but today i headed to the gym. i ran for 10 minutes (up from 7) and 2 of those minutes were on 2 incline. my total time on the treadmill was 30 minutes and i burned 300 calories. sigh...

Good for you jcrow

. And welcome back!!!! It''s not always easy to find motivation and we all experience slumps. Look''s like you''re getting back into the swing of things!!!

 

[Cailet]

Hey all -

Still haven''t found a gym that I like yet. I know I''m being picky - but I don''t want to sign up and not use a membership so I want to make sure that the gym I pick will be a good one!! All the ones I''ve liked so far have either been WAY too much money or are pretty far out of my way (not really near my house or work or even remotely "on the way" so that I could stop before or after work). There''s one more place I''m checking in to and hopefully that one will work out! I''m excited to try the machines -- is it weird that I''ve never used a treadmill - or elliptical for that matter? (unless you count trying them out in the store to see what they were like)

Had a pretty good workout last night. I did cardio and legs - I can feel soreness today (but not too too much) so I know I did a pretty good job.

Ate pretty well yesterday too -- we are making a big push to eat dinner earlier. We used to eat around 9PM or so everynight and I read that just by eating earlier you could add to your weight loss. We made tacos (w/ground turkey as I don''t eat beef) with a bunch of fresh veggies - pretty tasty!

I don''t know how you guys run so much!! I tried running a couple of years ago, but I always felt so silly - probably cause I had no idea what I was doing.

 

[Lorelei]

Welcome to the thread Kris

I wonder if Jeff managed to join the gym yet? Hopefully he will check in soon.

Had a good workout this morning, did the usual - can't wait for our stuff to come, Hubby keeps ringing and asking for news, but I think the treadmill will take to the end of the week and the elliptical to the beginning of next week.

I do get so bored though while on the elliptical particulary, even though I watch TV, I guess I will have to start reading something, but I feel if I read I am not concentrating so much on the workout. Oh well!

Doing great everyone!

 

[Rod]

Hey Cailet, finding a gym you'll actually use is a good idea. Hope you find one you like soon. On the eating thing, it really doesn't matter what time you eat. And it's not true that eating late promotes weight gain. It's a simple matter of mathematics: Calories in vs calories burned. Time is not really a factor in the equation.

Morning Lorelei: How's our UK Sweetheart?!! You're rapidly heading to 4 straight weeks right? On the boredom issue, I wound up getting an MP3 player (I should have gotten the IPOD, and am asking for one for Christmas), but I've loaded it with non-stop high rhythm dance music, which isn't music I like at all, but it pushes me to maintain my RPM's throughout the 45 minutes. It does keep me going and I just sort of get lost in the music and shut out everything that's going on around me. You might try it and see if it helps you get lost too.

 

[Lorelei]

Funny I haven''t mentioned the non smoking as believe it or not I don''t think about it so much! Yes 4 weeks straight this weekend!

I really feel that I am over it now, which is such a relief. Other times I have always been plotting to find an excuse to lapse, but not this time, I don''t want to smoke and it is a great feeling!

I will look into the music player as I need something to help, sometimes the workout goes fast, but other times I just keep looking at the clock, not that I mind doing it, it is just mind boredom I suppose.

 

[Rod]

Well I''m going to keep congratulating you on not smoking. I know how big a deal it is!!!!

Do try an MP3 player. I used to have difficulty getting through 45 minutes on the elliptical. Now, I simply get lost in the music and the time flies by. I use my MP3 when I run outside too. It helps me set a good running pace.

 

[Lorelei]

Rod I have " Lost in Music" now running through my brain by Sister Sledge! That would make decent workout music! Thanks for the congrats, you are more than welcome to keep sending them my way!

 

[Mara]

lorelei and mp3 player with good tunes is a MUST HAVE for working on the machines. otherwise i get SO BORED. i find that certain songs inspire me for the day or whatever and sometimes i play those over and over. it helps if i am working out at the same beat that my music is going to. so pretty quick tunes. if the music is slower, aka Eagles, i walk or workout a lot slower, so i try to only listen to my fast dance songs for workout. there are some great mp3 mixes out there too online for downloading for workout. there is this one website, it''s all free stuff and the guy has a ton of workout mixes that he makes to high RPM''s. i have to find the link.

cailet, re: eating later and gaining weight, what rod said is true. it''s basically WHAT you eat and how you expend those calories. the reason that some people say to eat earlier and it will help is because your body has longer to digest your food at a quicker metabolism rate when you are awake. imagine eating a bigger meal then going to bed an hour later. your body has only started digestion and then you are going to sleep. so the body continues to digest the food but at a more sluggish resting rate. so if you do eat earlier, your body will be more effective in quickly digesting your meal, but if you do eat later, try to eat a little less OR eat something that is easily digestible and nothing super heavy (like creamy pasta).

 

[M155_L337]

I will look into the music player as I need something to help, sometimes the workout goes fast, but other times I just keep looking at the clock, not that I mind doing it, it is just mind boredom I suppose.

This is the perfect time to get mp3 players...with school starting there are a bunch of sales.

I''m pretty sure Toys''r''us has a 2gig for around 60 bucks.

 

[Mara]

i love reading spark people''s excercise forums because people are sooo motivated there...i happened upon this thread, little tiny tips on workout and weight loss and it''s a huge 28 page thread!! some of the tips are great...read from the last page first as that is how their boards work, the first page has the most recent responses.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/messageboard.asp?imboard=63&imparent=2581972&strViewThisPage=1&strSortDirection=last

 

[Rod]

Date: 8/22/2006 1:11:53 PM
Author: Mara
i love reading spark people''s excercise forums because people are sooo motivated there...i happened upon this thread, little tiny tips on workout and weight loss and it''s a huge 28 page thread!! some of the tips are great...read from the last page first as that is how their boards work, the first page has the most recent responses.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/messageboard.asp?imboard=63&imparent=2581972&strViewThisPage=1&strSortDirection=last

Thanks Mara..........

PS: You''re advice on the value of MP3 and food/digestion was perfect!

 

[Mara]

thanks rod!!

so, reading sparkpeople got me all motivated to download some new mp3 songs for my workout today...so here is what i got. i am a total whore for dance or club remixes of old songs because they have the fast beat but lyrics i recognize and most good DJ's can make it sound great and with a high RPM for workout.

Send me an Angel dance remix
I Like to Move It remix
Bizarre Love Triangle extended dance remix
The Sun is Shining remix
Better off Alone dance remix
Bla Bla Bla by Gigi D'Agostino, if you are looking for great workout music that is not just trance and has words, I love his stuff. he also did a fab rendition of 'You Spin me Right Round' in a remix dance version that I love when I workout.
Chariots of Fire totally redone in a dance remix

i also got Genie in a Bottle which is a guilty pleasure, Toxic by Britney...hehee...and a few other pop high beat tunes. also got a few more Michael Jackson tunes, some of his songs in remixes are great. But even the originals like Beat It or Burn this Disco Out is fab for workout.

also some of my faves on my iPod are Boys of Summer done by a girl in a remix version, some Depeche mode remixes and similar.

I buy my mp3's on www.mp3search.ru ... it's a sweet site where you upload $$ ($20 increments, $20 lasts a long time!) through PayPal and then you just pay for music. The best part is the songs are only $0.10 each and full albums are about $1.50 each. It TOTALLY beats iTunes where the songs are 99 cents each. They have a ton of old and new albums as well, it's been a rare occasion when I have not been able to find something on there.

 

[Rod]

Date: 8/22/2006 1:55:19 PM
Author: Mara
thanks rod!!

so, reading sparkpeople got me all motivated to download some new mp3 songs for my workout today...so here is what i got. i am a total whore for dance or club remixes of old songs because they have the fast beat but lyrics i recognize and most good DJ''s can make it sound great and with a high RPM for workout.

Send me an Angel dance remix
I Like to Move It remix
Bizarre Love Triangle extended dance remix
The Sun is Shining remix
Better off Alone dance remix
Bla Bla Bla by Gigi D''Agostino, if you are looking for great workout music that is not just trance and has words, I love his stuff. he also did a fab rendition of ''You Spin me Right Round'' in a remix dance version that I love when I workout.
Chariots of Fire totally redone in a dance remix

i also got Genie in a Bottle which is a guilty pleasure, Toxic by Britney...hehee...and a few other pop high beat tunes. also got a few more Michael Jackson tunes, some of his songs in remixes are great. But even the originals like Beat It or Burn this Disco Out is fab for workout.

also some of my faves on my iPod are Boys of Summer done by a girl in a remix version, some Depeche mode remixes and similar.

I buy my mp3''s on www.mp3search.ru ... it''s a sweet site where you upload $$ ($20 increments, $20 lasts a long time!) through PayPal and then you just pay for music. The best part is the songs are only $0.10 each and full albums are about $1.50 each. It TOTALLY beats iTunes where the songs are 99 cents each. They have a ton of old and new albums as well, it''s been a rare occasion when I have not been able to find something on there.

Thanks Mara..........I totally agree that it makes my workouts engergized with my MP3. I ran out of batteries one evening and my 45 minutes on the elliptical lasted about 2 weeks without my rhythm! Now, I stock Lithium batteries that last a couple of months in an MP3. Thanks for the link for the tunes for MP3''s. Pretty Cool!!

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Hi guys

Thanks for checkin'' up on me...if you don''t who will? On second thought, don''t ask

YES, I finally joined the gym. My first workout is Friday so I''ll give you a mini report.

I''ve been really busy lately but I pledge to take the time to exercise. I''m also trying to squeeze in at least one jujitsu lesson per week.

Keep on keepin'' on everyone!!!

Jeff

 

[aussiegirl23]

JCrow: Sounds like you''re back at it - I know it''s tough sometimes to get into the gym - there are a hundred other things that need doing, and a thousand things we''d perhaps rather be doing... Sometimes getting dressed for the gym is the hardest part for me... cause then I KNOW I''ve got to go!

TravelinGal: Good luck with your business trip - perhaps the hotel will have a gym (a mini one at least?)? Not sure what it is about coworkers... but mine make me want to just escape sometimes too... not much of a wine drinker, but it makes me crave time with my quiet, polite doggies!

Mara: I''m checking out some of your mp3 choices... and so far... ME LIKES! thanks for the suggestions - my iPod is my lifeline at the gym and I ALWAYS can use some great new, fast-paced songs... seriously helps keep pace up!

M155_L377... First what does your name mean?

Tough to remember

I asked about the no-arms ellipticals at my gym... Turns out they ordered a ton of new models of the ellipticals with arms... were guaranteed they would be delivered on some date... So they scheduled the older ones to get taken away the day before... Some issue with the manufactuer, and so the new machines were delayed by like 8 weeks (how long I''ve been going to this gym)... So as a substitute (temporarily) they got in a bunch of slightly older, no-arm elliptical machines... Compromise - not based on preference but necessity... The machines with arms should be here next week sometime - will certainly try them

Modified Brilliant: Good luck on Friday for your 1st workout at this new gym... You''ll find a groove... despite your mad-crazy schedule

Lorelei: You only get a "WOW!"

Not even thinking about ciggies so much anymore? IMPRESSIVE

Rod: had my 2nd personal training session tonight... and again, THANK YOU for recommending it!

It probably is my best hour of the week... Incredibly motivating to have someone a) checking up on you weekly, b) coming up with new &/or harder exercises, and c) making you realize when you''re making progress and d) point out what you''re doing "wrong"

Cailet: Interesting about eating earlier... I''ve heard that it really doesn''t matter what time of day you eat?

I could totally be wrong... but heard it simply means sometimes that if you''re eating dinner later at night, or having a "midnight" snack... you''re usually consuming more calories overall... Anyone know the "real deal" here?

I''m eating dinner pretty late after gym nights (like 8:30-9:30) because I hate eating beforehand... Not sure if that''s a bad thing... Good luck finding the right gym!

Coda: Thanks for another heart rate monitor suggestion! You and your 13 mile runs... I vascillate between being scared of you

and wanting to emulate you... Thanks for the inspiration!

And thanks for chiming in regarding elliptical vs. running... I guess at this point I''m trying to push myself... and running seems more taxing on my body (in a good way)! I forget - are you training for a specific race soon? How long of a distance? When?

I did my hour workout w/ Ritta... my new favorite person

-Treadmill interval work (walk/run/walk/run... for total of 7 reps)
-1/4 mile @ speed of 4.0, incline of 7
-1/2 mile @ speed of 7.0, incline of 2
-Total w/ 5 minute cool down... 1 hour
I''m dead tired... this kicked my butt. Maybe overkill. Ah well, I''ll pay with soreness tomorrow, but that silly trainer got me all motivated!

Aussiegirl : p

 

[Modified Brilliant]

Here''s some inspiration for everyone

My 85 year old Mom walks at least a mile every day and wants her very own MP3 player!! Dad, also 85 is a walker, too! And works Part Time.


Of course her MP3 will have to be loaded with Sinatra

Big Band

and Swing!!

Jeff

 

[JCJD]

Howdy friends! I was off at a conference for work most of last week and then classes started yesterday (taking a 3 hour class and teaching 2 lab sections per week), so things have been crazy. However, I did find a yoga class that fits into my schedule, and tomorrow will be my second day! My abs are so sore, I got such a good workout from the class yesterday! I've had to start seeing a chiropracter for neck and shoulder pain from my bad posture, hunching over the computer day in and day out, so the yoga should help with that as well. Then today I biked my 10 minute round trip to and from school and was on my feet (in heels) teaching lab this morning. Of course I undid all the good work with half a chocolate bar after work and fast food for dinner.... oh well, one day at a time!

Any other teachers in this thread? Any tips for controlling the post-class munchies? I was bad about that last year also - I finish class and my adrenaline drops and I just need to eat! I'm going to try to bring carrot sticks or some other healthy snacky food on teaching days but I'm not sure it's going to do the trick.


ETA: Forgot to mention, while I was OOT and completely out of my normal routine while at the conference, it was at a resort in the mountains with lots of hiking opportunities! I also tried to take the stairs as much as possible, and our lodge was a 5-10 minute walk from the lodge with all of the presentations in it, so I got quite a bit of exercise from going to and from the hotel room, not to mention the altitude effects! So even though there was a lot of rich fattening food consumption and way more alcohol than I normally consume (1/day rather than 1/month....), I don't think I gained much if anything!


Congratulations Lorelei!!!! Keep up the great work - here's to 5 weeks!

 

[jesterjigger]

Sounds like everyone is doing well with their working out...I just wanted to say that if you''re having big problems with muscle soreness in your legs I''ve got two words for you...ice baths!!! After a really hard workout I take one, the last couple of months I could just run cold water in the tub and that would be chilly enough, but our cold water is not quite cold anymore, so I cut the tops off of 1L water bottlles and freeze water in them to make gigantic ice cubes, that does the trick. I just sit in the tub while I eat my breakfast (about 10-15 minutes) and I don''t have the soreness I normally do after a hard run. I didn''t run this weekend, but I did 3 miles at a really good pace Monday (best run of the year for me) and then I got a new personal best in the 1.5 mile run (my best time since joining the Air Force), so that made me feel good. 1.5 miles is an odd distance, that''s for sure.

Weighing in on the elliptical/treadmill debate. Yes, the elliptical is easier on your joints, and can provide more of a full body workout if you truly use your arms as hard as you''re using your legs...but I''ve seen maybe two people that do it correctly. However, the elliptical is is MUCH, MUCH, MUCH easier than the treadmill. Doing 4 miles on the elliptical isn''t anything close to doing 4 miles on a treadmill. Doing 2 miles on an elliptical at 6.5 mph is much easier than doing 2 miles on the treadmill at 6.5 mph. Also, the calorie counter on the elliptical is very overinflated compared to the treadmill, so please keep those things in mind when deciding. Generally when I do an elliptical workout I do it for a much further distance and faster pace than I would normally run.

And finally, I think I''ve solidified my run plan for the next couple of months. It was very optimistic when I started (increasing by 4 miles a week the first couple of weeks, then 2 every week after) but this is much more reasonable. I was thinking about doing the Seoul International Marathon, but I''m honestly not sure how much training I''ll be doing over the winter (they had 23 inches of snow in one storm last year, 72 inches in the month of December) so I might just be loosely aiming for it, I''ll more likely do a marathon in the fall when I get back to the states.


Goals Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat "Total Run"
Aug 6-12 3 2.5 2 3 10.5
Aug 13-19 3 2 3 3 11
Aug 20-26 3 1.5 1.5 3 3 12
Aug 27-Sep 2 3 2 2 3 3 13
Sep 3-Sep 9 3 4 3 4 14
Sep 10-Sep 16 3 3 2 3 4 15
Sep 17-Sep 23 3 3 2 3 5 16
Sep 24-Sep 30 3 3 3 3 5 17
Oct 1-Oct 7 3 3 3 3 6 18
Oct 8-14 3 4 3 3 6 19

 

[Rod]

Good for you Jeff. We''ll be anxious to hear how your first gym session goes. I find the endorphans from exercising quite addictive. Hope you do too.

Hey Aussie: So glad to hear your enjoying having a trainer. I agree it''s the absolute best hour of the week. I''m actually disappointed we won''t have our trainer for the next two weeks. This weekend we''re flying up north to celebrate my parents 63rd wedding anniversary and the following week our trainer is visiting his family in Seattle. So, we have to go until September 9 before our next session with our trainer.

It''s late, so am heading off to bed. Night night everyone......

 

[TravelingGal]

I agree about the treadmill v.elliptical. I ran the first time yesterday in a long time, and it was tough! Boy am I sore. I went back to the elliptical today to give my legs a bit of a break.

But I am definitely good so far on my goal this week on working out every night I''m away on biz. 1 hour treadmill yesterday, and a lite workout today with 45 minutes elliptical!

 

[LizzieC]

Taught a one hour Turbo Kick class this morning. Hadn''t done that format or that choreography in about 3 months, so it was pretty neat how it all came right back. I didn''t even have to think about it. And I really like my morning participants... they''re hardcore.

 

[Mara]

everyone is doing kick ass!!! hehee. literally. lol aussie re liking my song choices...i like em too!! i am a total fan of great music that gets you going.

funny jester that you say the treadmill is harder than the elliptical. i would much rather do the treadmill for 45 minutes on the hill program at level 9 or 10 than even FIVE MINUTES on the elliptical!! hehee i don''t know why, but i never did quite well on the elliptical and i guess that struggling always stuck with me.

i went to the gym today and 15 minutes into my hill program on the treadmill, the guys that were cleaning the windows hit the power cord and my treadmill turned off!

i didn''t even remember what mile i was on or calories etc...i was sooo bummed. so i didn''t want to start with the hill program again because then it would start me again with a warmup and i was already totally warmed up and past that...so i just did a manual program for 30 minutes moving the intervals up and down like the hill program would. i even was able to make it harder than the hill program typically would be because how it works is it moves from say incline of 3 for 45 seconds to incline of 0 for 45 seconds then to an incline of 5 for 45 and then incline of 0 for 45...incline of 7 for 45, incline of 0 for 45, tapping out at incline of 9 or 10 (depending on what level i have it on) for 45 and then 0 and then it repeats again for however long your program runs. so on the manual i went longer on both the flat incline and the high inclines, aka i left it at 5 for 1.5 minutes, and incline of 9 for 1.5 minutes etc. so i felt like i pushed myself harder than the hill program typically would. i ended at 30 minutes and then guesstimated what i had burned and walked before, so i think i did about 3.25 miles and burned about 360 calories. i think that''s probably pretty accurate as in the past doing about 45 minutes i did about 350 calories and 3.25-3.5 miles.

my legs were like rubber when i was done but it felt good!!! then i did some arms on the machines for a while. tonite we had dinner out, yikes!! italian, and i got lobster ravioli in a champagne cream sauce that ended up being more like cream than champagne, yummy but super thick and heavy. i only ate 1/2 of it...and greg and i shared a mozz caprese salad and i had some calamari appetizer and then dessert blew it all out of the water!!! we had a ton of desserts around the table so i shared in a bit of others and had a zabaglione myself. so MAN am i glad i went to the gym today!!!! i''d be feeling super guilty otherwise, but i don''t feel that badly now.

rod i meant to ask you...are you still losing weight? it seems like your regime is so hard core and structured and you are always working out and eating fabulously...are you in a maintenance mode or still losing weight?

 

[Lorelei]

Thanks Mara, that was a very interesting thread, always good to hear other people's tips and experiences. I had a word with Hubby about the music and he has set up a stereo in our little gym room, ready for when the stuff arrives!

This will be a big help with the boredom factor. Great link with the tunes, I will have to look into getting one of those M - thingies!

Well done Jeff

Good luck for Friday and we look forward to hearing about your first session

No gym for me this morning, I had a flat tyre. I get these occasionally as the metal rims of the wheels are corroded - it is a PITA. I will have to get out the air compressor later and blow it back up

Hubby and I go in separate vehicles as he goes on to work after so I had no way of getting there, never mind.

I am getting more antsy about the equipment arriving, I am getting tired of driving to the gym and want our own stuff now! Still, should be long now.

Great job all

 

[coda72]

Well, I had one of the best runs last night that I''ve ever had, (at least in recent history)! I only ran 5 miles because my legs are still a bit sore, but I could have run at least 2 or 3 more miles if I wanted. I felt so good that I sprinted the last 3/4 mile of the run, and still felt great when I was done. When I have a run like that, I just get a kind of high for the rest of the night. I guess that''s the closest I''ll get to the runner''s high! It felt even better because lately I feel like I''ve been going through the motions. Running has been more of a chore, and I''ve been just wanting to get it over with. Hopefully, this will keep up, and I will coast the rest of the way to the half marathon only 25 days away!

I think the rest of this week that I''ll be taking it easy, doing 5 mile runs, maybe one 8 mile run if I''m feeling good.

I got my heart rate monitor last night, and I found out that I''m actually running above my aerobic zone. Since it was a shorter run, and I felt great, I just went with it, but I think on longer runs I''m going to slow down and hopefully slow my heart rate.

 

[Lorelei]

Great job Coda! Glad to hear it is going a lot better for you, Bionic Woman! dedededededede Actually she was probably a bit before your time!

hehehe Jeff, I LOVE Sinatra

Big Band

and Swing

!! Too funny!

 

[Rod]

Date: 8/23/2006 1:13:09 AM
Author: Mara
everyone is doing kick ass!!! hehee. literally. lol aussie re liking my song choices...i like em too!! i am a total fan of great music that gets you going.

funny jester that you say the treadmill is harder than the elliptical. i would much rather do the treadmill for 45 minutes on the hill program at level 9 or 10 than even FIVE MINUTES on the elliptical!! hehee i don''t know why, but i never did quite well on the elliptical and i guess that struggling always stuck with me.

i went to the gym today and 15 minutes into my hill program on the treadmill, the guys that were cleaning the windows hit the power cord and my treadmill turned off!

i didn''t even remember what mile i was on or calories etc...i was sooo bummed. so i didn''t want to start with the hill program again because then it would start me again with a warmup and i was already totally warmed up and past that...so i just did a manual program for 30 minutes moving the intervals up and down like the hill program would. i even was able to make it harder than the hill program typically would be because how it works is it moves from say incline of 3 for 45 seconds to incline of 0 for 45 seconds then to an incline of 5 for 45 and then incline of 0 for 45...incline of 7 for 45, incline of 0 for 45, tapping out at incline of 9 or 10 (depending on what level i have it on) for 45 and then 0 and then it repeats again for however long your program runs. so on the manual i went longer on both the flat incline and the high inclines, aka i left it at 5 for 1.5 minutes, and incline of 9 for 1.5 minutes etc. so i felt like i pushed myself harder than the hill program typically would. i ended at 30 minutes and then guesstimated what i had burned and walked before, so i think i did about 3.25 miles and burned about 360 calories. i think that''s probably pretty accurate as in the past doing about 45 minutes i did about 350 calories and 3.25-3.5 miles.

my legs were like rubber when i was done but it felt good!!! then i did some arms on the machines for a while. tonite we had dinner out, yikes!! italian, and i got lobster ravioli in a champagne cream sauce that ended up being more like cream than champagne, yummy but super thick and heavy. i only ate 1/2 of it...and greg and i shared a mozz caprese salad and i had some calamari appetizer and then dessert blew it all out of the water!!! we had a ton of desserts around the table so i shared in a bit of others and had a zabaglione myself. so MAN am i glad i went to the gym today!!!! i''d be feeling super guilty otherwise, but i don''t feel that badly now.

rod i meant to ask you...are you still losing weight? it seems like your regime is so hard core and structured and you are always working out and eating fabulously...are you in a maintenance mode or still losing weight?

Sorry I missed your question Mara. The reality is I don''t seem to be losing any more weight. In fact, if anything, I seem to be gaining weight, which at first was distressing, but in reality means I''m gaining muscle weight, not fat weight. It''s been over 2 months now that I seem to have stopped losing weight. My weight seems to bounce from 171 up to 175 but won''t budge from there. But, my body fat percentage keeps dropping. So, I guess the fact that I''m pushing harder on free weights has been working to "Hulk" me up a bit.

Our gym just put in a neat machine and using our gym cards we set up our personal profiles and everytime we sit at the station, it records our weight, resting heart rate, blood pressure, body fat, etc., and then it sends a file to our email address and one we can monitor our progress. It''s pretty cool.

Sounds like you had an intense workout. I can see why your legs felt like rubber. Your dinner sounded fanstastic too.

Oh.......and thanks to you, I''ve become hooked on Lean Cuisine Spaghetti. My freezer''s stocked with ''em these days!!