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Monday, September 27, 2010

We Did It!

Two weeks ago, my friend Liz and I ran the 5K at the Chicago Half Marathon.  It was our first race- for both of us- so we weren't running it for time or anything, just to get a feel for what a race is like :)  It was so much fun!  I wish I had more money; the change in scenery, number of people, benefit to self & others, and swag definitely make runs fly by!

More than anything, I'm proud of how far I've come.  I started out about 150 pounds and unable to run more than a quarter of a mile without feeling like my lungs were collapsing.  Now I'm around 139 pounds and still trying to shrink.  We did 3.1 miles with zero problem (actually, we felt awesome afterwards!) and each week I've been increasing my run by a quarter of a mile.

Now I've joined LA Fitness and take morning classes 4-5 days a week.  I'm still running, aiming for twice a week- although, sadly, now it's on a treadmill- but this week will be 3.75 miles.  I'm really excited- I love my workouts and finally fit into clothes I haven't worn in 3 years.

I still have a long way to go, though.  For Liz and me, our next goal is the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Chicago next August- and I hope to run the 2012 Chicago Marathon.  I hope to lose at least 15 more pounds in the coming months and shrink a few more inches, but for now I'm quite pleased with my progress and my ability to finally stick with it!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

One month into it!

Hooray!  I'm well into my fifth week of the C25K plan and doing a different strength workout each week.  A couple weeks ago I bought pretty new running shoes, a New Balance pair from Naperville Running Company.  They're doing a lot better than my old Adidas shoes, even though I found out the hard way that a 9-mile walk may not be the wisest choice for the 3rd day of wearing new shoes (pics and details at my tumblr page).

Since it's been a few weeks, here are the strength workouts I've done up to this point:

And if you live around Chicago or Naperville, there are all sorts of fun, free fitness activities on Saturday mornings:
  • In Millennium Park, there are Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates, and Dance Aerobics from 7-10 am (schedule and info here or here) through September 11 on the Great Lawn
  • On the North Avenue Beach, Flirty Girl Fitness offers Yogalates from 10-11 am (info here) throughout the rest of July and August
  • Also, lululemon athletica in Naperville has yoga at 9 am (Tweet here)
Well that's about it for me tonight, I wish you all the best in your fitness endeavors!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Frustrated!

On Monday I said:
This week on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday in between my C25K runs, I think I'm going to do a Jillian Michaels workout from Self Magazine.  I figure if I change up my workouts every week, it'll be easier to stay motivated and not get bored!
Well, I tried that JM workout yesterday, and all I got was frustrated!  I got through the first move (Knee Trap) just fine, but I couldn't do the second move (Wheel Push-Up) assumedly because I don't have enough upper body strength to push myself up upside-down.  Eventually, after a few curse words, I modified the move by simply bending backwards over my exercise ball and doing the push-ups that way.  Close enough, I figured, on to move three (Ab Slide).  I admit that I am probably the single least-flexible human being you will ever meet; since I can't even touch my toes, I had to modify this one by bending my knees a little and walking my hands out instead of sliding them.  No big deal, I still definitely felt that move!

Since I'm doing C25K MWF, I decided to skip the cardio bursts and just go to move five (Dragon Stance).  This is where my supreme frustration from the Wheel Push-Up reared its head again.  As I twisted down into the first rep, my knees-- not my quads-- started to really hurt.  I did a couple reps on each side before surrendering to the ache of my knees and bringing the printed workout downstairs to show my mom.

At this point, I'm pissed off by this workout.  I know I'm out of shape, but there's no reason that at 23 years old (and NOT overweight), I'm completely unable to do this full workout.  My mom worked out for years and years and has always been in really good shape, and she knows when a workout is good or bad for someone.  I showed her the workout and she agreed; unless you're in amazing shape (read: Jillian Michaels) you could get seriously hurt attempting these workouts, especially without an instructor nearby.  I skipped ahead and showed her move nine (Jackknife), at which point she said that she had hurt her back for weeks doing a move like that.

Long story short, I tried that workout but decided to scrap it to avoid any further frustration or potential injury.  If you're in great shape, maybe you can do these moves.  If you're like me, though, and working to get back into shape, do not try these!  If JM was there with me, spotting me and offering tips on how to perform each move, maybe I could've done them.  I just got back from the SELF website and found a new workout for tomorrow & Saturday: the Stop Cellulite wokout.... I'm sure this'll be a better success than the JM workout!

Good luck, fitness friends!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Week 2

Well, it's week 2 of the C25K plan, and so far I have worked out every day for the past 8 days!  This is definitely a success for me :)  I haven't seen any changes in the mirror yet but I can try to be patient!

This week on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday in between my C25K runs, I think I'm going to do a Jillian Michaels workout from Self Magazine.  I figure if I change up my workouts every week, it'll be easier to stay motivated and not get bored!

Let me know if you're doing the C25K too or if you have any stories/tips!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

For real this time...

I've said it in pretty much all of my posts but I'm actually starting to workout this week.  I know that what I've needed all along has been a stable and constant schedule so I can workout consistently each day.  Having started my internship at Almost Home Kids, I got the chance to set my own schedule.  I chose to start each day at 9 am, so I am waking up at 6:00 each morning to workout before heading to the AHK house.  I am alternating cardio workouts with strength workouts, plus I'm trying eat more protein, fruits and veggies, and less carbs, sugar and fat!

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I'm doing Cool Running's Couch to 5K Plan, which introduces sloths like me to running without killing ourselves.
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays I'm doing strength workouts.  I'm going to do a different one each week; this week's is SELF magazine's 90 Seconds to Slim workout.

On the CARA Web site, I found three 5K runs that I'm going to choose from: the Joshua Kurby Charge for CHARGE 5K in Carol Stream on 8/14, the Peapod Project's Walk.Run.Help in Chicago on 8/28, or the Noon Lions' Labor of Love 5K Run/Walk in Downers Grove on 9/6.  I'd love to do all three but I just don't have the ability to pay three registration fees; no job = no money.

Since it's only been two days so far, the only signs of progress I've noticed are that my core and quads are sooo sore... But it's a good kind of sore, the kind that means I've been working out!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Finally starting to train!

On Sunday it occurred to me that the 5K is in six weeks.  SIX WEEKS!  That only gave me 42 days to get into shape to run the 3.1 miles.  With interviews, babysitting 6 days a week, and trying to get work done for Rankings Guru, Price Benefits and Cress Creek Links, the last few weeks have been a big failure for me.  I've been trying to eat healthier but I didn't get out to exercise.  Not too smart.

But yesterday I decided to start the Runner's World five week 5K training schedule.  Yes, I realize that I have six weeks to train, so I'm doing week 1 this week and next week, then starting week 2 on the 22nd, week three on the 29th, etc.  Yesterday I decided to kill two birds with one stone: I had to go to Target to pick up a few things so I walked there.  It's about 2 miles round trip, so I ended up walking (quickly- I was sweating!) for half an hour.

Then today I was supposed to run for 10 minutes.  Turns out that being sedentary for three months means you can't run 10 minutes straight through.  I did a 5-minute warm-up walk, then ran for 4 mins, walked for 2 mins, ran for 3 mins, walked for 2 mins, ran 3 more mins and walked the last 5 mins home as a cool-down.  The whole trip was about a mile and a half, and although I'm embarrassed to say that I can't run 10 consecutive minutes anymore, I did manage to run 10 minutes total and walked briskly in between, so it wasn't a total failure!

Tomorrow is another 20-minute walk.  I plan to follow it with some weight training so I can build my strength back up.  Finally I've gotten motivated and finally my plan is underway!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

I need to get my act together!

So the SELF Challenge 2010 began today... And of course I forgot about it until I got an email a little bit ago.  I've been really busy the past couple days with Josh here, moving furniture, informational & job interviews, writing work and more, so I haven't exactly started working out yet.  I did eat pretty healthy today (except breakfast because I don't think I could ever give up Cap'n Crunch) and I chose to walk from the train station to the Aon Center and back for my informational interview at Ketchum yesterday, which round trip is almost 3 miles.  Now that I'm aware that the Challenge has started, I'm going to try their workouts and recipes, get my butt running again, and get down to 120 pounds!

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!

I realize that Dr. Seuss's "Oh! The Places You'll Go" can be quoted for just about anything, so I'm going to apply it to my fitness journey.

So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!

(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)
Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

The Beginning of the Story

Ok so I moved back home with my parents on Sunday, December 20.  Since then, I've been focused on finding a job and trying to combine all of my college stuff with a selection of high school stuff in my bedroom (which is way easier said than done, believe me).  With no floor space and no TV/DVD player set up in my room, and our treadmill absolutely buried in the basement, my fitness routine has gone from minimal to zero.

In the fall, I made up a fitness plan for myself.  I attempted four days a week of cardio and three days of weights, but usually ended up working out only 3-4 days a week.  Nonetheless, I lost about 5 pounds, was in the best shape I'd been in throughout college, and started to fit into my clothes a little better.  But then I graduated and moved back home, and my workout plan ended.

Now, my friend Liz and I have decided to get ourselves back into shape so we can run the 11th annual NCO Spring Ahead Run on Sunday, April 18.  It's here in Naperville and we've decided on the 5K race because at this point, 3.1 miles is much more achievable than the 6.2 miles in a 10K.  In addition to getting my butt back on the treadmill, I'm going to do the 2010 Self Challenge which starts on Thursday, February 18.  My basic goal is to lose about 5 pounds a month so I can get down to the 120-125 range and a size 4-6 by my 23rd birthday on May 28.  I'm sick of my belly and love handles and need to get back into shape - wish me luck!