Bike Riding

So, I bought a bike over the weekend. Just a basic mountain bike, used, but in good working condition.

I hadall these great thoughts about riding for hours. I wondered if bike riding could really help me get in shape.

I took silver out for a test ride yesterday. It was 22 minutes that was as hard as running though with less impact on my knees. Also, my butt is very sore, despite the $10 gel cover I put on the seat.

I’m looking forward to continuing. But hours of drifting effortlessly around are a ways off. At least I know it was tough enough that it will definitely get in shape if I keep it up!

Meditation Day 2

Today’s meditation was decidedly less enlightening. Which was kinda disappointing after yesterday’s…breakthrough experience. But I reminded myself that every day is not like that and it is important to practice, practice, practice.

I did download that Insight Timer, and I love it!!! So nice to have a simple chime letting me know when meditation is done (if I’m not using some kind of audio track), and really cool to see who around the world is meditating at the same time I am.

What I’m struggling with is the motivation to work out. UGH. My plan is to do Day 2 of P90X tomorrow…I think…I don’t know why I’m having such a hard time committing to it and making it happen. But tomorrow, I’ll have a couple hours at home alone in the morning, so there’s no reason I can’t get it done!!

At least, that’s what I’ll keep telling myself…:-P

Meditation Day 1

This is not actually the first time I’ve meditated, but it was the first time since I’ve started the blog, so…

I meditated for over an hour today. Previously, the longest I’ve ever meditated was 15 minutes, so this was quite a different experience. On Curtis’ blog (100 Days of Peace), he talked once about meditating for a few minutes and not being able to focus, and someone suggesting a longer meditation actually help with that; that perhaps he would focus “better” in the second 10 minutes than the first. I’m sure that I’ve butchered that quote a bit, but that (I believe) was the idea, and I wanted to try that out today.

I also used the audio from OmHarmonics. Their website talks about how they can help you start “meditating right” without years of practice. Now, to me, that sounds like a load of bunk, and not something I’m even sure I want…because it seems to me that meditating “right” means learning to just “be” if that makes any sense. However, I did try their audio out, and I will say that it did help me immensely in letting go of thoughts, relaxing, and actually, for long moments at a time, truly thinking about nothing. Which is something I have never experienced before.

I can’t imagine that I will always use this audio, because part of what is important to me about meditation is learning to be more aware of my surroundings, of being and hearing and letting things pass through me, and the audio obviously takes something away from that. I will probably use it a few more times this week, however, as I found it to be a very interesting and relaxing experience. I definitely felt like I was in another mental state. I know, that may sound hokey…unless you have practiced meditation regularly or read anything about the Kundalini experience.

It has also left me feeling very “up”, and in a pretty damn good mood. Interesting…

I’ll continue to keep the blog updated on my meditation experiences as well.

C25K Day 1 and 2

So, week 1 C25K starts week 1 with 8 intervals of 1 min jogging 90 seconds walking.

Day 1 went well, but I did it immediately after I did P90X Day 1. I’m not really sure WHY I did that, but I was pretty proud of myself for pulling it off!! I was also hella sore afterwards, and had to back off for a few days.

Yesterday I did day 2 of C25K, and it went even better. I increased my run pace on several intervals (I use an android app called double run that tracks my pace on each interval, which is HUGELY helpful for me on these runs). Also it was absolutely gorgeous, most of my run was right along the water, very inspirational. I came home and had a salad for lunch.

Tomorrow will be day 3 of the runs. I’m feeling good about it, but I’m a little nervous about starting Week 2 after that.

Fall Down 7 Times, Get up 8

I lost my job a couple weeks ago. Yeah, I know, I never actually told you guys I GOT a job, but I did. I job I really really liked. And after 18 months of pouring my life into that job, I lost it. There are about a million things I could say about that, none of which would make sense to the three people who sometimes view this blog anyway. The bottom line for my blog is that that job loss, among other things, has gotten me back into the habit, so to speak. So, here I am, ready to wow you all with my fitness goals and progress!!

Over the last several months, I have been studying ninjitsu. I will not claim to have had a great deal of success in this, but I am okay with that. The studying of it has already begun changing my life and perspectives, and is central to my fitness goals right now. I need my body to be strong enough to do the things training demands of it.

I’m working on a couple of “fitness plans” right now, and I use that term loosely, as I have not followed either very closely so far.

P90X: If you’ve read my blog before, you know I love this program. If you haven’t heard of it, google it and check it out. It has phenomenal results and is very intense. It requires about an hour a day. So far, I’m not in the practice of giving it that hour, but I’m working on it. It revolves around the P90X workout DVD’s which target a different muscle system each day. The idea is that it helps keep the body from plateauing this way, or something like that. I like the workouts, there are great ways to track them, and every day is a new challenge.

C25K: This is a running program, whose full name is Couch to 5k. The idea is increasing intervals of run time over several weeks so that a person could go from a total couch potato to being able to complete a 5k run. I’ve been more successful in this so far, and I’m enjoying it immensely.

I’ll probably throw in some CrossFit as well, just to mix things up a bit.

So, that’s where things are at. I shall shortly put up a post on my most recent workouts, and I’m hoping the blog itself will help me stay on top of stuff!!

P90X-Day 3

I’m now on Day 3 of P90X, and seriously wondering WHAT I’ve gotten myself into.

Yesterday was the first Plyometrics X day. Google plyometrics. No, seriously, google it. It’s all about explosive movements, jumping up and down. Squat jumps were the warm up. I’ll just say that my current weight is a bit much to be slinging off the ground over and over….and over again. I did not puke. But I also was not really able to “bring it” through the whole routine. I honestly just counted it a success to keep trying the whole time, and not turn the damn DVD off when the bastard said we were halfway done.

I am feeling pretty good though, I gotta say. I’m not as tired today as I was yesterday. Tonight’s workout will be arms and shoulders and the lovely Abs Ripper X again. I assure you that my abs are, in fact, being ripped by the ARX workouts. Today I just started getting sor from ARX on Monday. Of COURSE that means it’s time to do it again.

But you know, all the toughness of it just makes me feel better. Yeah, it’s hard. Yeah, I sweat, and I wake myself up everytime I move at night because my muslces get stiff and ACHE.

It’s tough. But maybe so am I.

P90X Day 1: BRING IT!

So I did day 1 of P90X today! At this point I have mixed feelings about how it went. I could not finish all of the exercises for the chest and back dvd or the abs ripper x, but I did sweat a lot and my muscles feel like jelly now, so I think it was a good workout for me nonetheless!

Halfway through the Chest and Back video I almost stopped completely. I actually turned off the dvd and started the abs one, and then I realized I would feel so much better if I at least got through the Chest and Back workout, even if I didn’t complete every exercise. My muscles and my brain have a different idea of what “feeling better” means, but I’m pretty damn happy that I did that.

Here’s what my Abs Ripper X chart for today looks like:

In & Out	25
Seated Bicycle	10
Seated Crunchy Frog	6
Crossed leg/Wide Leg Sit-Up	1
Fifer Scissors	10
Hip Rock ‘N Raise	10
Pulse-Up	0
Roll-Up/V-Up Combo	0
Oblique V-Up	20
Leg Climb	2
Mason Twist	8
Total	92

I gotta figure, that’s 92 more ab exercises than I did the day before, so I feel good about it even if I didn’t get through all 300+ that the crazy people on the DVD did.

So, at this point, doing good. Gonna try to keep drinking water today, and hopefully eat at least a little healthy. And keep reminding myself that this is Round 1. If I want to do P90X again after I’ve finished it once, I can. This can be like my “oh my god, my body has to move, wut?” round.

Keeping Going, Take 2

I would imagine you can guess how the fitness test went, based on my lack of posting for, ya know, 6 months. In all honesty, it has taken me this long to feel like I can start working out again. Lame, maybe, but stuff like that comes hard to me.

 

I’m back, now, and will be trying P90X, and blogging here about that, and about my experiences healing in Cataclysm! Stay tuned, more to come, and thanks for the support you guys have given.

Keeping Going

So the last couple of days, I’ve still been running–15 mins a day.  Yesterday I ran with a 5-lbs pack on my back to prepare for the test, and I’ve been setting the treadmill on an elevation.

Today I’ll do a complete run through of the test (which is tomorrow!), minus the 140lb dummy drag, b/c I can’t figure out how to really practice for that:

• 3-story stair climb and descent
• 10 Push ups
• 10 Sit ups
• 15 min jog w/weights

The test is TOMORROW AM, and is practically all I can think about. I want this job SO BAD, and I don’t want to NOT get it just because of physical fitness!!

Failure and Success

For the first time in years, today, I ran on a track. For my PAT on Wednesday, the 15 min jog will have to be done on a track, and I wanted to start practicing on a track, now that I know I can run 15 mins without stopping.  As a background note, I have serious issues with tracks–I get to a track to run and because of some past experiences my anxiety shoots through the roof, and I become convinced I’m going to fail miserably.  Hence wanting to be sure I practiced on a track.

I got through a little over half of one lap and had to start walking.  There were other people there, and all I could think about was how I was going to fail on Wednesday, and they were basically going to laugh at me for even thinking I should try.  I was ready to forget this whole thing, get in my car, and drive home.  I walked the last half of the lap, though, and decided not to go home.  I decided to start again, and forget anything about speed.  Forget anything but a simple pass on the test, which means jogging for 15 mins without stopping.

And I did.

I was slow.  Incredibly slow.  But I jogged 15 mins without stopping on that track.

I’m not overly proud of my performance. To be competitive Wednesday, I think I need to make it look a little easier! But I AM proud of the fact that I didn’t give up. I started over, and I met my goal.  I can only improve from here!