Friday, December 26, 2008

Happy Holidays

I'm horrible about updating around holidays, mostly because I'm running around in a hectic daze. I promise to get back to a regular schedule after the new year. In the meantime, it was a great holiday for fitness (well it will be after I get away from the massive amounts of food) I got a Wii and a Wii Fit!!!! YAY!!!!

How is everyone else doing
-Meg

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Back at the Gym

I stayed away from the gym yesterday, and felt it today. After overdoing it a tad on the running, I cut my strength in half with a mental promise to return to the gym Tomorow and do the other half.

I think this may be a good motivator.
-meg

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Workouts v.s. sickness

With my rest day came illness. By the time I went to bed last night my entire body felt like I'd been hit by a truck. No fever, but a lot of aches and tiredness. I'm being told it's the flu. I am faced with the dilemma of giving myself another extra rest day, or going to the gym sick.

I am inclined to forgo the gym today, mostly because my test foray down to the grocery store to get cat food left me feeling like I'd run a half marathon and then lost a fight with a prize fighter.

This is a dilemma that I face more often than I'm happy about, and it makes me wonder what the traditional wisdom is on this. All of my research has come up with conflicting answers: Skip the gym, Go but go Easy, Ignore the illness, it all seems to be in there.

What would you do, stay home or power through it

-Meg

Monday, December 15, 2008

Does Window shopping count as exercise?

Well my weekend didn't go as planned, as usual. Instead of going to the gym on Saturday, we got some much needed shopping for the holidays done. Fitness wise it wasn't a complete write off, since we walked all over midtown Manhattan (for about four hours) window shopping and seeing the holiday sights.

My body is getting a much needed extra day of rest today, since we're switching our workout days from M-W-F to T-Th-Sa this week to accommodate other plans. I'm hoping to get an extra couple of workouts in Wednesday and maybe Friday.

How is everyone else handling the added time drain of the holidays? Still finding enough time to get to the gym?

-Meg

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Adding in an extra workout - and a meme

I continued my every other day schedule yesterday, which was something of an accomplishment, as I had to go to the gym without the motivation of my S.O. and with the full knowledge that I would be going to the gym the next day (today) as well. Normally those two things would combine to give me enough excuse to put off a gym trip, but I was determined and so I went. I'm considering it my "bonus" work out for the week, since I didn't do my full strength set, I only did my crunches. I put off the strength training till today, to give my muscles an extra day to rest.

Sooo....I got tagged with a Meme....
I want to thank Miche at http://lastjourneydown.blogspot.com/, who tagged me.
Here are the Rules:

1. Link to my tagger and list all these rules in my blog.
2. Share seven facts about myself right here, some random, some weird.
3. Tag seven people at the end of my post by including links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here we are:

1. I knit, like a fiend. I knit on the subway, I knit in coffee shops, and I knit when I'm watching tv. I say I knit so I don't kill people. ^_^

2. My favorite color is purple. I resisted this fact for most of my teenage years (during which I would emphatically claim black as my favorite color - so very goth) mostly because purple is also my mothers favorite color.

3. My mother has Multiple Sclerosis, and is wheelchair bound. This has affected my life in a lot of ways, since she was diagnosed when I was eight. M.S. is a horrible disease that steals your loved ones from you bit by bit.

4. I am a fan of the Buffalo Bills. I never used to care about football until we moved down to NYC and I was brought along with my S.O. to a bar that was run by a Buffalo native, that shows the Bill's games every sunday. On Sunday it is packed with people from Western NY, cheering and booing. I'm now hooked.

5. I have studied several forms of Martial Arts, and as soon as I have the money again I intend to find myself a new Dojo to study at again. I have a green belt in Isshin-ruy, and a Purple belt in Kempo. I briefly studied Kung-fu, and have learned a bit of a blend of Aiki and Judo. I think I'm leaning towards the more circular styles this time around.

6. I have lived on both coasts. I spent a year and a half living in San Jose back around 2000/2001. I had spent the previous summer living in Mountain View (also in the bay area), and while I miss Cali terribly sometimes, I have come to realize I am an east coast girl at heart.

7. And to make this fitness related: I am a recent convert to running. A year ago my favorite saying was "I only run when chased." Now I've come to love the way my mind can relax when I run, and the way my body actually feels like I worked it when I'm done.

Now I'm not a big one on tagging people for these things...so instead I'm going to change it up a bit. If you want to participate in this meme, tag yourself! Leave a comment saying you're doing it, so I know to come look and see what you've said!

-Meg

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Tired muscles

My body is starting to protest my workout schedule. Last night was the third workout day of my "every other day" regimen. All of my muscles are sore. Frustratingly, my weight is up, although I'm being optimistic and claiming it's because of muscle gain.

Strangely enough I was only able to get through my basic set of crunches (20 Sensei Mark specials, 15 side crunches on each side, and 15 ab choppers on each side) before my abs more or less gave out. I literally could not do another sit up. I had to rest on the floor for almost a full minute before I could get myself to sit up. It wasn't overly painfull, it was just...not happening.

Hopefully my muscles will be recovered by Friday ^_^

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Every Small Step Forward Counts

Yesterday I had a fantastic gym session. I was able to up my speed on the treadmill significantly. Running felt natural and exhilarating. When I ran out of time on the treadmill I even felt like I could have run longer. (There is a strict 30 minute maximum enforced during peak times at the gym.) I did machines for my strength set, since the gym was packed and the free weights were mobbed. Both me and the S.O. were feeling a little worn out so we skimped a tad on the sit ups but I managed to get my normal set done, but without the new set of crunches I had added on Saturday.

It feels good to be moving in a positive direction again.
-Meg

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Weekend warrior

I managed to go to the gym on Saturday. It was the first time in a long time that I got myself to the gym on a weekend. It was interesting to see the different mix of people.

I plan on steping up my game this week. I've been in a slump and I want to be under 145 by the new year.

I wonder how all those people manage to motivate themselves to get to the gym on the weekend. I could use some of that.

Any ideas?
-Meg

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Fitness Gear Cravings

Yesterday was my first day back at the gym after Thanksgiving (which had resulted in almost a week away from the gym) and boy did I feel it. I pushed myself hard and got in a solid workout with a little extra, but my body isn't too happy about it today.

Since the major gift giving holiday is coming up, relatives and friends alike have been asking me what I want them to spend money to give me. This resulted in me looking long and hard at what I would like to have with me at the gym that I don't have.

So here are a few things that I would think would make any fitness buffs Christmas:

Sherpani Blaze Sports Duffel : Has lots of room for everything you need to carry, and looks darn good too.

Sigg water bottles : Awesome reusable water carriers with cool interesting designs.

Adidas Adissage Slides : Because the shower floor at the gym is icky, and you might as well get a foot rub while you walk!

Garmin Forerunner 50 : It's like a pedometer and heart rate monitor and exercise tracker and sports watch all in one sleek little package. Covet.

Lucy Art Hoodies : I have one. I covet it. Perfect for throwing on over your workout gear to keep out the chills.

Iris Sports Top : perfect fit, perfect support. Again, I have one and I covet it.

Now I know I haven't put any actual workout equipment or videos or anything in that list. The reasons are a) I don't want to recommend anything I haven't tried, and I really haven't tried out many things outside the gym and b) What equipment and/or videos you choose tends to be a very personal choice.

I would however like to make a special note that everyone should get a Wii and Wii Fit. Just because they're fun, and any way to make movement fun is a bonus!

What's making your list this year?
-Meg

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Seeing Daylight

I've gotten my sleep/wake schedule mostly sorted back out. I've forced myself to wake up with my S.O. in the morning to get myself up, out of bed and moving. In the future that "moving" bit will include going to the Gym for some A.M. workouts, but as today is a "workout with the S.O." day, it just included walking a few blocks to pick up breakfast.

One of the benefits (short lived though it may be) of switching my schedule around has been a change in my appetite. I am not nearly as hungry now as I normally am. Part of it might be linked to the fact that I am now sleeping when I was used to eating, and awake when my body is now used to sleeping. I am however, grateful for whatever biological weirdness is causing this lack of appetite, as it's keeping me from just sitting around eating mindlessly to take my mind off my lack of work.

Instead I'm actually getting some of my gigantic to do list finished! One big item on that to do list has been getting this blog back to the active state and focusing on my health again (which got back burner-ed in the past few months.)

So! Since I've been out of the "fitness loop" for a while, what new and exciting things have you all been following/blogging about/doing?! Update me!
-Meg

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Appologies for the silence

The axe fell on me as well, so I spent the past week getting my ducks in line in regards to Unemployment and applying to new jobs.

The good news is that now my schedule will be closer to what most people consider normal, and I will be able to once again attain a regular workout schedule.

Although I did not manage to fit in any workouts when I was visiting with the 'rents, I did manage to eat at least close to healthy. I'm looking forward to getting back to working out and hopefully finding a good job in the near future.

How is everyone else surviving so far?
-Meg

Tracking Transformation: Where I stand now