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.