(Imagine that title in a South American football commentator's voice, please. One of my favourite sounds in sports viewing. The other is the sound of an F1 car.)
Today I got talked into several events, courtesy of a workmate who is currently training for a marathon and who is keen to get me running/training/being fit with her.
So... what are my firm goals?
1. Swing Dancing lessons - I am taking these up with Tia at the end of this month. The goal is to start taking these classes as it has been on the cards for a while.
2. Run the Mother's Day Classic. This is on Mother's Day (hence the name), and is an 8km fun run. I need to be able to run 8km easily and be at my goal weight by this date. Both are achievable, but I am a little apprehensive about getting my running up to par.
3. Run the City2Surf. Another fun run, this one is in August and is 14km.
4. Do a mini triathlon - September. More details to come on this as 2010 race details haven't come out yet so I don't know exactly what I'll be up for.
Whew! All this is going to make this year very busy. I'm also an emergency reserve on a social netball team and I am considering entering a social tennis competition.
My current training plan is focussed towards my first event. Boxing twice a week, running three times a week and dancing once a week. All up: six sessions but a mix of muscle groups being worked out.
If anyone has any tips on mixing up the training so I don't kill myself trying to do all this (I have to pick up swimming and cycling at some point too) I'd be very grateful!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Kickstart
It's been back to reality for me this week - back to work, back to boxing and back to healthier eating.
I had a bit of a backwards slide leading up to Christmas. Portion sizes grew, more junk was eaten and coffee was being consumed at an amazing rate.
Over Christmas, while I kept up with my running and also acquired a Wii Fit Plus to try and combat the lazies on rainy days, I still managed to come out the other end not feeling or looking my best.
This week has been a kickstart into this year's effort. I'm tracking my food intake again while I recalibrate my serving sizes and get used to eating the healthy stuff (again). My training is also starting to get serious now. I'm in the latter half of my running training and the increase in pace is getting almost exponential. My trainer has also demonstrated that boxing is going to ramp up quickly - the newbies have had a bit of a wake up call this week! I really need to watch my training and food carefully while I get used to this pace - just to make sure that I'm getting the right nutrition and I don't get injured.
I've had a bit of shin pain today. I'm pretty sure it's been caused by me deciding to use my old pair of runners for boxing - they were causing me shin pain when I replaced them as my runners. I'm going to swap them out next week to see if it makes a difference and give my shins a rest for the next day or so. I'm hoping it clears up quickly.
Here we go...
I had a bit of a backwards slide leading up to Christmas. Portion sizes grew, more junk was eaten and coffee was being consumed at an amazing rate.
Over Christmas, while I kept up with my running and also acquired a Wii Fit Plus to try and combat the lazies on rainy days, I still managed to come out the other end not feeling or looking my best.
This week has been a kickstart into this year's effort. I'm tracking my food intake again while I recalibrate my serving sizes and get used to eating the healthy stuff (again). My training is also starting to get serious now. I'm in the latter half of my running training and the increase in pace is getting almost exponential. My trainer has also demonstrated that boxing is going to ramp up quickly - the newbies have had a bit of a wake up call this week! I really need to watch my training and food carefully while I get used to this pace - just to make sure that I'm getting the right nutrition and I don't get injured.
I've had a bit of shin pain today. I'm pretty sure it's been caused by me deciding to use my old pair of runners for boxing - they were causing me shin pain when I replaced them as my runners. I'm going to swap them out next week to see if it makes a difference and give my shins a rest for the next day or so. I'm hoping it clears up quickly.
Here we go...
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Treadmill vs Land
Well... More resolutions? That never-ending battle to have the "perfect" body.
I do, however, wonder about jogging on treadmill vs land. I was in Canberra over the New Year, and I went for a jog in the park nearby and around the block after 2/3 weeks of no gyming. I found it hard to keep running constantly at a high pace for more than a minute at a time, and it didn't help with the weather being hot.
When I got back into Sydney, I went to the gym, and found it a lot easier to keep jogging consistantly for 10 minutes. Is there something with the treadmill that makes it easier? I'm guessing it's because it's accelerating for you that you aren't necessarily needing to push yourself off the ground per se, and therefore probably less effort.
I'm also starting to write in my diary measurements to monitor any body changes. If it stays the same, then it's ok because I haven't gained, and if it goes lower then it's a bonus. I'm also going to take note of the days I exercise so I know how frequent I am doing so. This week has been slack, and due to the weather I'm a bit lazy as well... Need to readjust my sleeping pattern as well so that I don't go to sleep at 3 or 4am and wake up at 11 or 12 in the morning. I'm thinking of maintaining a food diary too so I can monitor what I've been eating, so that I can't fool myself into believing that I am eating healthily when in actual fact I'm not.
I haven't really made huge progress on losing weight last year, but to me it's always an ongoing thing - even if I do reach my goal it's still work and effort to maintain it at that point.
Hope everyone is coping in the (Australian) heat! Happy health! :D
I do, however, wonder about jogging on treadmill vs land. I was in Canberra over the New Year, and I went for a jog in the park nearby and around the block after 2/3 weeks of no gyming. I found it hard to keep running constantly at a high pace for more than a minute at a time, and it didn't help with the weather being hot.
When I got back into Sydney, I went to the gym, and found it a lot easier to keep jogging consistantly for 10 minutes. Is there something with the treadmill that makes it easier? I'm guessing it's because it's accelerating for you that you aren't necessarily needing to push yourself off the ground per se, and therefore probably less effort.
I'm also starting to write in my diary measurements to monitor any body changes. If it stays the same, then it's ok because I haven't gained, and if it goes lower then it's a bonus. I'm also going to take note of the days I exercise so I know how frequent I am doing so. This week has been slack, and due to the weather I'm a bit lazy as well... Need to readjust my sleeping pattern as well so that I don't go to sleep at 3 or 4am and wake up at 11 or 12 in the morning. I'm thinking of maintaining a food diary too so I can monitor what I've been eating, so that I can't fool myself into believing that I am eating healthily when in actual fact I'm not.
I haven't really made huge progress on losing weight last year, but to me it's always an ongoing thing - even if I do reach my goal it's still work and effort to maintain it at that point.
Hope everyone is coping in the (Australian) heat! Happy health! :D
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
I've joined a gym
Yet in the last week that I've joined, I have not yet gone.
I shall go tonight. No matter how tired I may be.
But at least I have lost a bit of weight due to just partying lots and eating less.
Let's see what I do this week, shall we?
I shall go tonight. No matter how tired I may be.
But at least I have lost a bit of weight due to just partying lots and eating less.
Let's see what I do this week, shall we?
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Oops
It's nearly summer... well, it would be if the weather decided to get warm and stay warm.
I hope it decides by the end of the month, where I head off to Canberra for a day of listening to very loud music and hanging out with a bunch of very cool people! I bought shorts today, and I'm keen on wearing them that weekend.
I'm within 3 kgs of my goal weight now. I've had quite a few ups and downs. Toward the end of September I injured my foot - which meant no running or cycling, little walking and careful boxing.
That wiped me out for three weeks... and since then I've been lazy. The weather hasn't been helping - cold and grey! I really should get back into running again, but it's been so hard to find the motivation.
It's off for this weekend anyway - I have a nasty infected blister on one of my heels thanks to some new shoes, and it's painful even when I'm barefoot, let alone with shoes on. No running possible at this stage.
I'm hoping that next week gets a little better and warmer, which will encourage me to get out there and get back into it!
I hope it decides by the end of the month, where I head off to Canberra for a day of listening to very loud music and hanging out with a bunch of very cool people! I bought shorts today, and I'm keen on wearing them that weekend.
I'm within 3 kgs of my goal weight now. I've had quite a few ups and downs. Toward the end of September I injured my foot - which meant no running or cycling, little walking and careful boxing.
That wiped me out for three weeks... and since then I've been lazy. The weather hasn't been helping - cold and grey! I really should get back into running again, but it's been so hard to find the motivation.
It's off for this weekend anyway - I have a nasty infected blister on one of my heels thanks to some new shoes, and it's painful even when I'm barefoot, let alone with shoes on. No running possible at this stage.
I'm hoping that next week gets a little better and warmer, which will encourage me to get out there and get back into it!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Just keep Swimming, Swimming, Swimming
I was having a discussion with a colleague at work the other day. We were talking about boxing class, and how during the ab work at the end of the class the trainer called attention to the fact that the two boys were complaining, while I was dead silent.
The reason I was quiet? I knew if I so much as opened my mouth or pulled my concentration from the spot on the wall I was staring at, my legs would drop and I wouldn't be able to continue. I was that tired and worn out after a hellish class that it was all I could do to just get through the last few minutes.
I was lucky - the "stare at a single spot on the wall and concentrate on that" had worked for me in that class, but it often doesn't. he shared a secret with me - when doing tricky exercises such as a plank, he often starts counting the threads on his towel or the specks of colour on the floor, just to get himself through. I haven't tried that method yet, but it did intrigue me.
I really didn't think I ever did much of the sort apart from concentrating on a single spot somewhere, but today while cycling I surprised myself. The course I was doing has a lot of hills - some steep, some not. Some long, some short. It was on a long climb towards the end of the ride when I was tired that I caught myself singing "Just Keep Swimming" from Finding Nemo in my head.
I have to say, repeating the "just keep swimming" constantly did help, and gave me something else to concentrate on other than how shaky my legs were feeling and how I just didn't want to climb any more hills. As anyone who cycles knows - if you stop pedalling while going uphill, even for a second, you're stuffed. Getting going again is very, very hard. You'll pretty much do anything to keep yourself going... and if I have to think of a goofy Finding Nemo song, then so be it!
In other news, I'm now 1.8 kilos away from my goal weight. I had another loss this week and I am feeling pretty good about things. I'm also onto week 2 of the couch to 5k program and I think it's going to be fine.
The reason I was quiet? I knew if I so much as opened my mouth or pulled my concentration from the spot on the wall I was staring at, my legs would drop and I wouldn't be able to continue. I was that tired and worn out after a hellish class that it was all I could do to just get through the last few minutes.
I was lucky - the "stare at a single spot on the wall and concentrate on that" had worked for me in that class, but it often doesn't. he shared a secret with me - when doing tricky exercises such as a plank, he often starts counting the threads on his towel or the specks of colour on the floor, just to get himself through. I haven't tried that method yet, but it did intrigue me.
I really didn't think I ever did much of the sort apart from concentrating on a single spot somewhere, but today while cycling I surprised myself. The course I was doing has a lot of hills - some steep, some not. Some long, some short. It was on a long climb towards the end of the ride when I was tired that I caught myself singing "Just Keep Swimming" from Finding Nemo in my head.
I have to say, repeating the "just keep swimming" constantly did help, and gave me something else to concentrate on other than how shaky my legs were feeling and how I just didn't want to climb any more hills. As anyone who cycles knows - if you stop pedalling while going uphill, even for a second, you're stuffed. Getting going again is very, very hard. You'll pretty much do anything to keep yourself going... and if I have to think of a goofy Finding Nemo song, then so be it!
In other news, I'm now 1.8 kilos away from my goal weight. I had another loss this week and I am feeling pretty good about things. I'm also onto week 2 of the couch to 5k program and I think it's going to be fine.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Catch Up
Sorry about the silence, I took a break from exercise and good sense last week as I'd been feeling fatigued and had pain in my hand that was being made worse by boxing. A week off seemed like a sensible idea.
I am now feeling much better and today I bit the bullet and started the couch to 5k program. I've been meaning to do it for a long time, but I always managed to find an excuse to not start... and I also managed to put off loading the week one podcast on my shuffle.
No more - I did my first run today and I was pleased that while the week one session was not too easy. Depending on how many runs I do per week (as I also want to cycle, box, occasionally swim and then in a few months time dance as well), I'll run the sessions for either one week or two.
Weight-wise, I'm the closest to my goal weight that I have ever been. The week off led to a 200g gain, which is nothing really.
I just have to work on improving my food, which has been letting me down recently.
I am now feeling much better and today I bit the bullet and started the couch to 5k program. I've been meaning to do it for a long time, but I always managed to find an excuse to not start... and I also managed to put off loading the week one podcast on my shuffle.
No more - I did my first run today and I was pleased that while the week one session was not too easy. Depending on how many runs I do per week (as I also want to cycle, box, occasionally swim and then in a few months time dance as well), I'll run the sessions for either one week or two.
Weight-wise, I'm the closest to my goal weight that I have ever been. The week off led to a 200g gain, which is nothing really.
I just have to work on improving my food, which has been letting me down recently.
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