That Little Horse Named C25K

I've been on steroids for my asthma for 2 months now, and I am feeling back to normal in the breathing department.  So, of course, I had to go and see if I could make my lungs hate me again.

I really missed the feeling of accomplishment I got the last time I tried Couch to 5K (I had even gotten up to Week 4).  I had stopped because I had hurt my back, and when I tried to get back to it, my breathing started being an issue.

Today was more of a Week 0.5 Day 1, then a Week 1 Day 1.  The app I'm using (Run 5K from Felt Tip) has Week 1 as 5 min warmup, *run 45 sec, walk 90 sec, run 45 sec, walk 60 sec* repeat 5 times.  I managed to get 2 of the 5 sets done before breathing hurt.  I walked the rest of the time for a total of 30 mins.

I need to figure out a good way to track the intervals on Fitocracy.

Today's Stats

Exercise: Treadmill, C25K, Week 0.5, Day 1

Time: 30 mins

Distance: 1.61 miles

Avg Heartrate: 168

Finding the motivation... again

Today's stats
Exercise: Treadmill walking
Time: 20 mins
Distance: 1.0 miles
Heart rate: 153

When I screwed up my fitness challenge back in March, I screwed up royally cause this is really the first time I've seriously thought about getting back to it.

Day 39 of 75

Today's stats
Exercise: Treadmill walking
Time: 60 mins
Distance: 3.0 miles
Calories: 399
Heart rate: 141 (avg)/ 166 (max)

Had problems with my HR monitor again today.  It didn't register anything for several minutes and spent another good portion of time registering at least 100 beats a minute too low.  :/

I think the leg press yesterday may have given me an achy thigh muscle.  I may be using my right leg more than my left leg when I push the platform.  I wonder if I should cut the weight in half and do each leg individually.

Day 38 of 75

Today's stats
Exercise: Treadmill walking
Time: 30 mins
Distance: 1.6 miles
Calories: 246
Heart rate: 149 (avg)/155 (max)

Exercise: Leg extensions
Weight: 30 lbs
Reps: 4 sets of 12 reps

Exercise: Leg curls

Weight: 20 lbs

Reps: 3 sets of 12 reps

Exercise: Leg press

Weight: 70 lbs

Reps: 4 sets of 12 reps

Day 37 of 75

Today's stats
Exercise: Treadmill walking
Time: 60 mins
Distance: 3.0 miles
Calories: 428
Heart rate: 138 (avg)/157 (max)

Fell off the tracking-things-on-the-blog wagon, but I have been logging things regularly at Fitocracy.  I'm up to level 7!  :)  Biggest thing that's changed with my exercise is I've gotten up to walking a full hour on my long walk days.  Each time I think I need to find my longer yoga routine videos, the 30 min video kicks my butt.  Yes, it is the same routine every time, but some days my muscles seem to work harder to get me to the end than others.

Day 27 of 75

Today's stats
Exercise: Treadmill walking
Time: 45 mins
Distance: 2.25 miles
Calories: 329
Heart rate: 140 (avg)/149 (max)

Yesterday was yoga, but I forgot to post about it and my posts about yoga aren't terribly exciting anyway.  Tuesday was a failure when it came to working out; my body decided I needed a 2 hour nap instead of a trip to the treadmill.  I spent the rest of the day organizing my fiber closet in the guest room so that I can close the door for when a guest comes to stay next week; at least that broke a sweat.

I still have a runny nose and occasional cough from the cough plague.  However, I decided to just go for it and do the full 45 mins because I need to get back on the full workout horse eventually, might as well be now.

I don't know if this is a result of getting regular exercise or from me finally tightening the heart rate monitor strap down enough, but my average heart rate while walking does seem to be dropping.  It had been in the 150's and now it's in the 140's.

Day 24 of 75 - Back on the Treadmill

Today's stats
Exercise: Treadmill walking
Time: 20 mins
Distance: 1.0 miles

Easing back into walking on the treadmill because I am coughing much less today.  I will admit that I felt wiped out at the end of the 20 mins, so I'm glad I didn't decide to push and go for 30 mins.  But I feel better for having done something.  Although, now I feel like I could use a nap.

Day 23 of 75 - New fancy pants!

Today's stats
Exercise: Yoga
Time: 30 mins

Today was the first day I wasn't running a fever (I think) and didn't wake up coughing my head off.  So, I dressed myself up in my fancy new yoga pants (a whole size smaller than the old ones, woo hoo!) and took the dog for a walk.  It is so much easier to walk and move when you're not worried about your pants falling down.  Decided to do yoga today because I thought it would be easier on a recovering sicko.  I genuinely felt better after finishing the program than I had before doing it, so I think I'm on the road to recovery.

Day 20 of 75 = Fail

I did not workout today.

I did cough so hard I got sick and worried about cracking a rib.

I had to remind myself that the whole reason I was doing this challenge was to make myself better.  To breath better.  To have a better heart rate.  To sleep better.  All with the hopeful side effect of having more muscle and less fat.

I had to remind myself that if I worked out while running a fever and hacking up 2 lungs I would not be taking care of myself.

Day 19 of 75

Today's stats
Exercise: Treadmill walking
Time: 20 mins
Distance: 1.0 miles

Today should have been a yoga day, but the cough that goes with this cold started last night.  I didn't think I'd be able to concentrate on my breath in poses, but 20 mins on the treadmill isn't too strenuous.  Of course, that meant it felt like I was going to hack up a lung when I finished.

Day 18 of 75

Today's stats
Exercise: Treadmill walking
Time: 20 mins
Distance: 1.0 miles

Only did 20 mins again today because it does feel like I'm fighting off the bug that came home with the husband.  Would rather not hurry the germs along by pushing too hard.

Day 17 of 75

Today's stats
Exercise: Treadmill walking
Time: 20 mins
Distance: 1.0 miles
Calories: 164
Heart rate: 146 (avg)/ 153 (max)

Decided to only do 20 mins today because I feel like I may be coming down with the husband's germs, which I was worried about in yesterday's post.  I woke up feeling like a heavy blanket was laying atop of me., so back to sleep I went.  When I did wake up about 9:30 am, I was feeling much better, but I didn't want to push things.  But I did workout, and that's the important part.

Day 16 of 75

Today's stats
Exercise: Treadmill walking
Time: 45 mins
Distance: 2.25 miles
Calories: 325
Heart rate: 139 (avg)/166 (max)

An interesting tidbit from today: my average heart rate was lower than normal.  Today's average was 139 bpm, and usually it's more like 150 bpm.

Unfortunately, the husband is sick and I'm not sure what I'm going to do if I get sick, too.  If I'm too sick to workout, does that end the challenge?  Or is it acceptable that sick is sick and there's nothing I can do about it, better to take care of myself then make things worse?

Day 14 & 15 of 75

Today's and Yesterday's stats
Exercise: Yoga
Time: 30 mins

A little hard to believe that I made it through 2 weeks so far.  It at once feels much longer and much shorter.  15 days is pretty much about 20% of my goal, which sounds like a lot when looking at the whole. 20% is a lot, right?

Day 13 of 75

Today's stats
Exercise: Walking around the lake
Time: 90 mins
Distance: 3.7 miles

The duct cleaners came today, and a chemical that they put up the ducts necessitated the pup and I leaving the apartment for 2 hours.  So I turned my workout into taking the pup for a walk around Lake Elizabeth.  Around that lake is 2 miles and it's approximately a half a mile to get there and a half a mile back.  We took a slight detour to the dog park, but I used my nifty Fitbit to track all the walking.

Day 12 of 75

Today's stats
Exercise: Yoga
Time: 30 mins

Day 11 of 75

Today's stats
Exercise: Treadmill walking
Time: 45 mins
Distance: 2.25 miles
Calories: 359
Heart rate: 144 (avg)/159 (max)

I slowed it back down to 3.0 mph today because there are a lot of little things that hurt.  However, they don't hurt so bad that I couldn't get my workout in, so I wasn't off the hook.  In fact, the movement makes them feel better for a little while.  I went down to the fitness room having given myself permission to only do 30 mins if the pain didn't ease with walking.  But as I warmed up, the aches faded, so 45 mins it was.

This was important for me because I have such a bad habit of pushing too hard whenever I try to start a fitness regime.  I then end up hurt or sick and it all falls to pieces.  Since I'm in this for the long haul, getting hurt or sick would be stupid.

Day 10 of 75

Today's stats
Exercise: Treadmill walking
Time: 30 mins
Distance: 1.6 miles

Exercise: Leg press
Weight: 60 lbs
Reps: 3 sets of 12 reps

Exercise: Seated row
Weight: 40 lbs
Reps: 1 set of 12 reps

Exercise: Leg curls
Weight: 30 lbs
Reps: 1 set of 6 reps

Exercise: Leg Extensions
Weight: 40 lbs
Reps: 1 set of 6 reps

Calories: 284

Before I got on the treadmill today, I did some weight exercises.  The leg press is the most important one as that's the exercise recommended by the orthopedic surgeon to prevent knee pain from the strange problem* I've had with my knees since I was at least 12.  I did this last week as well, but forgot to list it in my daily stats.  The others were really just trying out some of the other weight equipment in the fitness room with the added bonus of showing me to be a wimp.

*When I was 13, I went to see an orthopedic surgeon at West Point because whenever I did lots of walking or tried running my knees swelled up like cantaloupes; there was also the bonus creaking, cracking, grinding noise that heralded my arrival when I walked down stairs.  I was told that I had something where ridges of calcium had been laid down on the backs of my kneecaps (hence the noise), and that activity would cause friction (hence the swelling).  I wasn't given a lot of options -- take aspirin for the pain and swelling, strengthen my thighs to take the stress off my knees.  There was the possibility of surgery if it didn't wear down on it's own.  
Well, I still get the horrible noise, but not so much the pain any more except when I walk up stairs.  Thankfully, my new orthopedic surgeon said the noise is not indicative of damage and as long as I'm not experiencing pain I'm good.  But I need to strengthen my thighs to take the stress off my knees, and half squats (which I hate with a passion) are the way to do that.  Thankfully, the leg press machine is a good substitute.   

Day 9 of 75

Today's stats
Exercise: Treadmill walking
Time: 45 mins
Distance: 2.4 miles
Calories: 416
Heart rate: 157 (avg)/171 (max)

Pumped up the speed on the treadmill a little from 3.0 mph to 3.2 mph.  It allowed me to get into a bit more of a rhythm while walking.  It felt a little slow at 3.0 mph.

I'm amazed that just doing another 15 mins of walking has caused way more aches.  Ow.

Days 7 & 8 of 75

The stats are the same for each day, so here we go.

Today's stats
Exercise: Yoga
Time: 30 mins

I realized this weekend that the program on the DVD actually run 30 mins, not 28 mins like I saw... somewhere that I don't honestly recall now.

I'm loving my Fitbit so far.  It's been really interesting to discover that I don't do a lot on the weekends and that it takes more steps than I knew to get around my apartment.  There is suddenly an unspoken competition in our household.  Josh really seems to enjoy showing me just how many steps he's done, leaving me behind in the dust.  I should start doing better once I get on the treadmill tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I've made it through my first week of exercise, and I'll be honest, it was hard.  But I wasn't willing to fail just a few days in.  I am wondering if I should allow myself 2 or 3 days of off time, either planned or in case I get sick or hurt.

Day 6 of 75

Today's stats
Exercise: Treadmill walking
Time: 32 mins
Distance: 1.6 miles
Calories: 255
Heart rate: 146 (avg)/184 (max)

So, 2 mins into walking I may have... *cough*... fallen off the treadmill.  *cough*  No worse for wear, but I had to start over hence the extra 2 mins.  Originally, I had thought to do 45 mins again, but I feel wiped out.  I have to remember that it's going to take a little bit for my body to get used to doing something every day.  I also think a sore muscle in my neck is keeping me from sleeping well.  :/

I came back up from the fitness room and found a box on the doorstep.  My Fitbit is here!  It's charging as I type.  I need to measure my stride length so I can track distance walked.

Day 5 of 75

Today's stats
Exercise: Yoga
Time: 28 mins

Last night I feel asleep rather easily.  Although, as usual, I woke up several times during the night; that's just sort of how I've always been, waking up to roll over, or just waking up and being awake.  However, this was the first morning in awhile that I woke up on the dot with the alarm and was awake.  I ended up staying awake and taking care of things.  But as the morning wore on I got tired and realized it was because I hadn't had my coffee -- I was holding off until I had done my yoga, and that had been put off in order to take care of the dog, eat breakfast, then wait for breakfast to not be in my stomach so much.  But yoga was finally done.

I've notice it's not making me as sweaty, but it does feel as if I'm working my muscles more.  I have to wonder if it's because I'm focusing more on getting the poses right rather than not just falling over.

Now the sleepy has crept back up on me, and I'm hoping I'll sleep really well tonight.

Day 4 of 75

Today's stats
Exercise: Treadmill walking
Time: 45 mins
Distance: 2.25 miles
Calories: 365
Heart rate: 150 (avg)/219* (max)

*Something happened to the transmitter strap.  Might be time to tighten it up again.

Today was a bit harder to get moving and get myself out the door and down to the fitness room.  But I did it, and I even went longer than I did the last couple days.  Boy, do I feel like I could use that 2 hr massage right now.

Day 3 of 75

I did another 30 mins on the treadmill today.  This time I remembered to bring my heart rate monitor.

Today's stats
Exercise: treadmill walking
Time: 30 mins
Distance: 1.5 miles
Calories: 265
Heart rate: 152 (avg)/159 (max)

I've been thinking of getting a pedometer to help keep track of all the walking I do with the dog and such.  I'm curious about how far away from 10,000 steps a day I am.  My mom had suggested using my iPhone with a pedometer app, but it looks like many may drain batteries a bit fast and are more aimed at using for specific exercise times.  I want something I have on me all the time to record all my steps, not just when I'm working out.

Day 2 of 75

Today I walked on the treadmill in the fitness room of my apartment complex.  I had hoped to do a whole hour, but was willing to accept that, not really having done any structured exercise in the last 4 months, starting slower might not be a bad idea.  I managed 30 mins at 3.0 mph for a total of 1.5 miles.

Afterwards, I made sure to do my stretches, most specifically my hamstrings.  My left hamstring and calf are so tight that stretching them almost makes me cry.

A high point for today was we BART'd up to San Francisco to meet my parents for lunch at The Wayfare Tavern.  The food was so good.  We ordered several appetizers to split (steak tartar, roasted pears, deviled eggs, and roasted beets).  For my entree I got the fried chicken because it's the reason I've wanted to go to this restaurant since it opened.  It was so good, but I couldn't finish it after all the appetizers.  Their popovers are the most wonderful things!  I had a special occasion drink while we were there because they had an egg white cocktail on their menu, and I've never had one before and have always thought they sounded interesting.  I picked the Leidesdorff, which was Bourbon, Royal Combier, Benedictine, Orange Muscat, Cinnamon Tincture, Lemon, and Egg Whites.  It was really nice.  

Day 1 of 75

Today is Sunday, so today was yoga.  I used a DVD I got several years ago called Just My Size Yoga.  It's put out by the pantyhose people with Megan Garcia, a plus-sized model.  The video covers some things for doing yoga with a larger body, which is kind of nice.  I would never have thought of widening my knees to make Child's Pose feel more comfortable.  It's only a quick 28 minute video, but it certainly gets me sweating.

The oddest part of doing yoga for me is that way several joints will randomly pop as I hold a pose.  The one that goes most is my right kneecap while doing Warrior Pose.  What I really like about yoga is my back always feels better afterwards.

Sometimes I sort of wish I could take a class in person cause I'm sure my Downward Dog could use some help.

Preparing for Change

Looking at the calendar, I realized that my 35th birthday is in 11 weeks as of tomorrow -- 75 days to be exact.  While turning 30 didn't phase me all that much, facing 35 feels different; it's making me realize that I should be taking better care of myself.  I want to go into my next trip around the sun on a better foot.

To this end I have set a challenge for myself.  I will do at least 20 mins of structured exercise every day for the next 75 days (i.e., walking the dog doesn't count).  I'll be mixing things up by doing yoga on Sundays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.  The rest of the week I'll walk on the treadmill.  I have hopes that once I start getting my asthma back under control I can go back to working on the C25K program.

I've done something like this once before a couple years ago; I spent a whole month riding my stationary bike every day.  The reward that time was a trip the Monterey Wool Auction.  This time I'm considering the reward of a 2 hour massage at the end of the challenge.

Another part of this will be cutting back on the amount of alcohol I've been drinking.  I'll have a glass of wine with dinner, and special occasions will be exceptions.  I'm doing this, even more than the exercise,  to lose weight.