C25K: Week 3 Day 1

I promise I'm still here!! I forgot to post last Wednesday, but I did run. Last Friday I was out of town for work and didn't get back until Sunday. Monday I was recovering from my long weekend, and Wednesday, for reasons unknown to me, my children work up at 6:45. So today has been my first chance to go running this week.

I skipped ahead to pick up where I had left off months ago at Week 3 as Week 1 and Week 2 didn't challenge me. Week 3 is definitely more of a challenge to run the 3 minutes.

Today, and I have no clue how I did it, but I actually out ran Harley! He's usually dragging me around and has plenty of energy to play with Kimber when we get back. Today, halfway through the second 3 minute jog, he laid down and refused to run another step. I took the cue and we walked back home.

Stats
Distance - 1.95 miles
Time - 30:34
Average Pace - 15:33/mile
Fastest - 10:04/mile
Slowest - 29:07/mile
Calories Burned - 201

My husband has informed me that he would like to try running with me again, so next week I'll be getting up earlier, and hopefully it'll be cooler!

Day 15: Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs

Pure Cardio never gets any easier.  It's still just as difficult as the first time I did it!  I know I'm improving, though, because I'm able to push myself harder and do more reps during the exercises.  My stamina is getting better and my muscles are getting stronger.  I'm really enjoying the feeling of working for the body I want.  I'm setting an example for my children, because they watch me do every workout.  I don't want my children to live a life of obesity, and I want to be able to keep up with them when they're running around.  It feels great to know I'm working toward that goal.

Every time I start to feel down and don't feel like working out, I think about my end goals and how far I've come since January.  Each and every workout I do is one step further toward my goals, and every workout I miss is ten steps backward.  Each workout skipped makes it easier to say no to the next.

Just do it!  Don't let anyone tell you you can't.  Prove them wrong.

Day 13: Plyometric Cardio Circuit

I just did not feel like doing this today.  I've been really sluggish all day and procrastinated until about three in the afternoon to do the workout.  I was barely able to keep up with the video or even complete it.  I finally made it through, but I felt like it would never end.  It didn't help that my shins have been aching since I woke up this morning.  Maybe I need to invest in some memory foam insoles for my running shoes..  But it's only every now and then that running irritates my shins.

I think a lot of it has to do with my poor diet recently.  I've been trying to eat more nutritious this week, but I haven't been eating near as often as I should.  Several days last week, all I ate was supper.  Absolutely terrible, I know.  I haven't been hungry for some reason, so I haven't been thinking about eating.

Tomorrow morning, before anything else, I'm going to to sit myself down and eat an egg white omelet for breakfast.  I'll even add in extra baby spinach leaves for the vitamins.

Hopefully tomorrow, I'll have more energy and feel good for my morning run!

C25K: Week 2 Day 2

Hello everyone!  I went out for my run this morning even though I really didn't want to.  But I'm glad I did!  I woke up this morning really tired and drug around until the absolute latest I could possibly go out because I was telling myself that I didn't want to go today.  When I finally forced myself outside, I told myself that I was only going to walk a few laps and go back inside.

I was not enjoying being outside, at all.  There's been a cold snap the past few days, so it was quite chilly when I started this morning.  Not to mention, there was a heavy dew on the ground that had soaked my shoes and socks through before I even made it to the road to start walking.

After my half mile warm-up, however, I finally forced myself to turn on my C25K app and started running, still telling myself that I was going to go in after two laps.  Let's face it, who likes running with wet, squidgy shoes?  I sure don't!

After two laps, I had started to wake up, the temperature was warm enough to take off my jacket (or maybe I was just hot?), and I had quit paying attention to the water squishing between my toes with every step.  I was enjoying myself!

So I finished my 2.5 miles in a rather slow 39 minutes and already completed my step goal set by Noom.  So far, I already have 6500 steps and it's only 8:20 in the morning!  Today is going to be a great day!

Get out there and work past your excuses!

Day12: Fit Test and Weekly Weigh In

I'm sorry this is so delayed.  It's allergy season here and I've been under the weather all weekend long.  Last Wednesday, I did Day 11, which I said was Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs.  Well, turns out, I accidentally skipped a day.  Wednesday I was supposed to do Cardio Powder & Resistance and Friday was supposed to be Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs.  I planned to make this up Friday, but, since I wasn't feeling well, I have changed my plans and hope to get it done this week - perhaps tomorrow.

Anyway, Saturday was my weekly weigh in day, but I never got around to posting it.  It turned out alright, however, as today was my second Fit Test.  Here are my results:

Weigh In

Arms - 12 (down 0.5")

Chest - 37 (down 1")

Waist - 41.5 (down 1")

Hips - 42 (down 1.5")

Thighs - 21 (down 0.1.5")

Weight - 169 (down 2.6)

BMI - 26.9 (down 0.4)

Fit Test

Switch Kicks - 58 (3 more)

Power Jacks - 32 (7 more)

Power Knees - 75 (20 more!)

Power Jumps - 10 (5 less)

Globe Jumps - 6 (1 more)

Suicide Jumps - 12 (3 more)

Push-Up Jacks - 25 (15 more!!)

Low Plank Obliques - 40 (10 less)

Now, you may ask, "But Hunter, aren't you bummed that you gained weight?"  My answer would be, "Yes, a little, but I know why."  There are actually a few reasons that I believe I gained weight this week.  One, would be my diet.  Since I've been feeling a little under the weather for the past week and a half, my diet has suffered as I've turned more to comfort foods rather than the healthy things I should be eating.  Instead of my 80/20 rule that I try to follow during the week, I've been munching on snacks and eating out more than I usually do simply for convenience.

Another, is because I've seen results, and my mind wants to tell me that I don't have to try as hard.  The little devil on my shoulder tells me that I should reward myself for my progress this far, and usually that involves sitting down to a Criminal Minds marathon, or going out to eat, or having that cupcake I've been eyeing.

The last reason, could be due to a gain in my lean muscle mass.  After all, I can't expect to do Insanity without gaining some muscle, can I?

So, this week, my encouragement won't be my weight loss, but rather that my clothes are fitting much looser (I can finally put my bras back on the tightest hook, my brand new jeans that fit when I bought them a week before I started Insanity are about to fall off, and I can tighten my belt two more notches.), the compliments I'm getting from my friends and family asking how much weight I've lost, and the results of my Fit Test.  Who would have thought I would have improved that much already?!

Tomorrow morning, I'm getting up and going for a run.  My husband is showing less interest in running with me, so it'll just be me and Harley out pounding the pavement.

Weekly Weight In

I'm surprised at my measurements this week.  I didn't expect the results I had, but I'm quite happy that I got them.  I was able to wear a dress that I haven't felt comfortable wearing for almost two years now!  I can't wait to see how much more my body changes!

• Arms - 12" (down 0.5")
• Chest - 37" (down 1")
• Waist - 41.5" (down 1")
• Hips - 42" (down 1.5")
• Thighs - 21.75" (down 0.75")

• Weight - 168.2 lbs (down 3.4 lbs)
• BMI - 26.7 (down 0.6)

I wonder if the inconsistencies in my measurements each week are because of human error, or if it's an indication of muscle gain?  Food for thought.

See you Monday!

Day 9: Cardio Circuit

It took me a minute to figure out what this video was because I didn't have a DVD called Cardio Circuit like my calender stated.  I finally figured out that it is the Plyometric Cardio Circuit DVD.

My heart wasn't really in this today.  Maybe because I did it later than I usually do, maybe because I hadn't eaten much today, maybe because I was irritated by my children.  I don't know why, but I didn't have energy to do this today.  Between that and my children running around under me (have you ever tried doing push-ups with a 18 month old pushing a toy car around beneath you??), it took me over an hour to complete the 42 minute video.  I was constantly having to wait for my kids to move out of the way because I didn't want to step on any fingers or toes.  For some reason, today they simply wanted to be within 6 inches of me at all times while I was trying to do my workout.

I'm not even going to give a rundown of today's video because I feel like I didn't do half of it.  Tomorrow's my weigh-in day.  I don't expect to see the same kind of weight loss I've seen so far.  My diet at the beginning of the week wasn't that great as I've been out to eat several times.  I'm not even sure if I'll see any weight loss this week.  I hope I do, though.

See you tomorrow!

Day 8: Pure Cardio

Sorry this post is a day late.  Yesterday morning I overslept and I couldn't fit it in anywhere else in my day.  So now I have Insanity two days in a row!

Today was just as brutal as the first time I did this video.  "This sh*t is BA-nanas," as Shawn says - and it really is.  It's so intense that the co-hosts start dropping like flies about half way through the video.  If they wore mics, I can imagine that there would be many curse words flying through the air like missiles at Shawn.

• Suicide Drills - I started these going full blast.  By the end, I had slowed down to half of my original pace.
• Switch Kicks - I thought there were going to be three reps of these, so I did these easy and didn't jump.  After I finished them, I realized there weren't any repeated exercises in this video.  Oops..
• Wide Football Sprints - Easy enough.
• Stance Jacks - I did pretty well on these.  This is where I started to really tire, however, so I took a few breaks.
• Pedal - Sprinting a few seconds, jumping into one lunge on each side, and sprinting again.  I think I did alright.
• Hooks and Jump Rope - I couldn't keep up anymore and started doing it at my own pace.  I couldn't seem to get the hang of the jumps.
• Power Jacks - I was pretty exhausted at this point.  Today, I wore shorts during my workout and the feeling of my thighs rubbing together was pretty motivating to keep pushing.
• Level 2 Drills - These are fun.  I'm getting better at push-ups.  I still can't go all the way down, but I'm able to do them without going to my knees now!
• Frog Jumps - I was huffing and puffing at this point.  I think I got six sets (jump back, jump front) over the whole minute.
• Power Knees - Just like last time, it felt like someone replaced my shoes with lead weights.
• Mountain Climbers - I worked on picking my knees up higher.
• Ski Down - I love these!
• Scissor Runs - I think I finally figured out how to do these!  They're not terrible, but still not my favorite exercise.
• Suicide Jumps - Call me crazy, but these are one of my favorites!  I try to go a little slower than Shawn calls them, because I try to focus on keeping my butt down in the plank.
• Push-Up Jacks - I did five push-ups before I took a break in Down Dog pose.  I did three or four sets in the minute I had.

Needless to say, today wore me out!  See you tomorrow!

Day 7: Cardio Power & Resistance

I honestly felt like skipping Insanity today.  Time changed last night and it has left me dragging around all day.  I did my morning Happy Yoga video and I was this close to calling that enough for today.  But I know myself, I know my goals, and I know that if I procrastinate one day, I'll have an excuse for the next day, and the next, and the next.  I know this about myself.  This is actually the reason I picked up Insanity again.  Nasty weather was keeping me from being able to run (and still is..darn rain..), and I felt absolutely helpless about reaching my fitness goals.  I felt like the universe was against me, but I was determined to fight back and show the universe who's boss!

So I plugged in the video.  "Come on y'all!  'S-go!"  Shawn yells.  Oh boy, this is going to be a rough one, especially after my long weekend.  After the usual warm up and stretching routine, we got down to business.

• Power Jumps - I'm developing a love/hate relationship with these.  If I go slow and position my feet just right, I can get a few of these with "proper" form.
• Belt Kicks - Love them!  And I'm able to keep up with the group for once!
• Hit the Floor - Today, these gave me a challenge.  I didn't get very many of them done for some reason.
• V Push Ups - I figured out a rythem that works for me.  I would do 5 push-ups and then take a quick break.  I got about 3 reps of 5 done in each of the three rounds.
• Triceps Dips/ One-Legged Triceps Dips - I used the same method here as I did with V push-ups - 5 fast dips, short break.  Again, I got about 3 reps, except for the one-legged dips, I only got two reps on each side.
• Triceps Ball Push Ups - I think I figured out how to do these.  After all the triceps work from the last exercises, I only got two reps of 5.  My arms felt like floppy noodles!

After a short break came the second sets of exercises.  I was pretty worn out by the first sets, so I was very sluggish during these three rounds.

• Hurdle Jumps - I could not for the life of me keep up with the group!  Not to mention my feet were too heavy to get more than a few centimeters off of the ground.
• Globe Jumps - I don't know how many sets I got done each round.  I was moving very slowly, but I focused on my form instead of speed.
• Moving Push Ups - I can't do the moving part just yet, so I used my same technique as the first sets of exercises to do 5 really fast push ups and take a quick break.  I wasn't even on my knees!
• Floor Sprints - I have to really focus to keep my butt down.  I find that if I put my feet out just a little further than I feel is necessary, that it's easier to keep proper form.  I really pushed myself in the end and was sprinting so fast that I left a little lump in my carpet where my feet were hitting the ground.  Oops..
• 8 Hop Squats/8 Push Ups - Hop squats weren't too bad, it was the push-ups that really killed me.  I was exhausted by this point and was using my legs to help push myself up.  I guess I got in a bit of a calf workout as well!

Time to go get my protein shake!  I mix the vanilla flavored Muscle Pharm Combat in with 12 ounces of unsweetened vanilla almond milk.  Really tasty and filling, and only 175 calories!

No running tomorrow because of the weather and my family is making a trip out of town for a mini vacation, so I'll see you guys Wednesday!