i've been remiss in updating this...not that this is for anyone but me, but it's important to keep a record, so i can look back and see my progress. i decided to do this online mainly because for whatever reason, i have far more success keeping an online journal than i do a private one. perhaps the latant exhibitionist in me? who knows...
i did the run/walk thing last friday: ran 3 sets of 3:1, and then for the fourth set I ran 2:1 and then walked for the rest. My motivation for the running is waning, since I can't seem to get beyond those 3 minutes at a time... Saturday was spent sanding windows and porch railings and painting. Mike did the second story windows and i did the main floor - no ladders required there :). I also ran much paint up and down the stairs so the man could prime and paint the windows on the second story. For the first time I'm really glad we have a small townhouse. It took 6 hours just to do our 6 windows - I can't imagine how long it would have taken if we had outside walls and windows on all four sides of our home!
Sunday was the CIBC walk for the cure - I did the 5K without difficulty, and actually walked it quite quickly. I feel good about it. Definately something I'm going to plan to do on a regular basis. Perhaps I'll even run it one of these years...
Monday I did another walk/run combo, but it was just 5x2:1 and then walking for the rest. I was low energy and again the motivation to really push me to even finish a complete set of 2:1s wasn't there. I did have a good conversation with a guy I've seen at the gym a few times. He told me that when he first started he had trouble with the running and so decided to keep at the elliptical until he'd lost about 40lbs. Then he tried the running again and he found it much better. He was very encouraging, and it got me thinking that perhaps I might want to ease off the running and focus more on the elliptical until I lose some more weight. There are many good arguements for this: 1. I like the elliptical more, 2. it's easier on my knees and 3. I like the various programs on the elliptical, so that will give me some crosstraining options that aren't available on the treadmill. So instead of trying to run 3x a week and do the elliptical the other day or two that I make it to the gym, I'll do the elliptical 3x a week and then the treadmill the other 2 times a week, with a run/walk of 2:1 or 3:1 or whatever I feel like I can accomplish. And once I lose some more weight, then try the running again. Since the elliptical is easier on my knees, I can keep a faster sustained pace on it for a longer time than i can the treadmill, so it may be more condusive to the weight loss... I don't know. My friend who is training for a half marathon soon was reminding me too that I need to work on my strength. Which means i REALLY do have to get back to curves. It's so easy, especially lately with being so tired and headachy, to skip curves and just go home after work. So next week, I committ to making it to curves. at least 2x (the bare minimum i need to start building more muscle...)
Tuesday I had a doc's appointment so there was no gym. All is well - the news was good, no further surgery necessary (hallelujah!). And she was positive about the changes she saw me making, etc.
Wedensday was 30 min on the elliptical doing one of the x-training courses.
Today, I woke up feeling like crap with a headache and a stiff neck. At some point during the night I must have slept on it funny, because I had dreams about advising people about natural products for muscle tension relief (I hate dreaming about working in retail. I thought I'd left that hell behind years ago...) and when I woke up my neck was stiff and there was a huge knot at the base of my neck/shoulder. Working out probably would have been good, but I think the extra sleep and getting to work early was also a positive. Depending on how the neck feels I might try some pilates or yoga when I get home, as I do want to start doing that more too...
Tonight is ww. I've not been exceptionally good this week, but I did manage to write down everything since monday. I think in my mind, i'm not really starting ww until after thanksgiving which has hindered my motivation. but my scale at home is showing a loss, so we'll see what thier scales have to say tonight. at least i'm writing down what i'm eating so i'm acutally aware of what's going in my mouth. Which, really, isn't all that much different from before, which is also what i expected. (although there has been less chocolate. yay me.) I've been losing weight, it's just slow, but steady, and that's what I want. My clothes are loser and in some cases, completely unwearable, and I'm feeling good about myself, which is by far the best thing of all of this. So no matter what the scales say, I need to remember that I feel better. That is the key...
