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!

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!

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!