Saturday, December 31, 2011

It's Almost a Wrap!

This morning we enjoyed the last pancake breakfast of the year!  The Captain outdid himself this morning, and while we ate, we came to the conclusion that we should move our pancake breakfasts from Saturday mornings to Sunday morning while we are training for our May half marathon.  Our long runs are scheduled for Saturdays and we will be experimenting with different breakfasts before we run them.


Then I did a Last Chance workout!  And it was... literally... I did the Jillian Michael's DVD by that same name - the 5 minute warmup, the 25 minute cardio/weight intervals, and the 5 minute cool/stretch.  It is a workout I cannot quite complete so a good one for me to have in my rotation; something to work toward.


So my weekly recap looks like this:

Sunday/Christmas Day:
  • rest and relax - nil
Monday/Boxing Day:
  • Biggest Loser 2 warm 5 minutes
  • Biggest Loser 2 functional fitness 10 minutes
  • Biggest Loser 2 bootcamp 15 minutes
  • Biggest Loser 2 women's sculpt 10 minutes
at this point I realized there was something really wrong in my lower back

Tuesday:
  • rest and recover - nil
Wednesday:
  • walk 1.25 miles
Thursday:
  • walk 2 miles
Friday:
  • walk 2 miles
Saturday:
  • Last Chance warmup 5 minutes
  • Last Chance workout 25 minutes
  • Last Chance cool/stretch 5 minutes
All in all an okay week, especially since my back is getting better by the day!  My sister in law had something very similar happen to her a few weeks ago and she thinks it must be a virus.

My December Results:
  • ran a total of 33.67 km
  • did 2 or more strength workouts each week fairly consistently
  • actively participated in 2 challenges and one virtual 5 km race
 2011 in Review:
  • according to my Daily Mile calculations, I ran a total of 427.52 km for a total of 55 hours and 49 minutes
  • I was unable to workout/run for a total of 12 weeks during this year due to 3 eye surgeries
So...

I am about to print our race bibs for the January 1st, 2012 Virtual Resolution Run being put on by Amanda - and end this post by wishing you  a very

Happy, Healthy, Fit and Fun 2012 !



See you next year

Friday, December 30, 2011

Gelbot Gets a Thumbs Up From Me!

The Captain and I are going to start training on the 1st of January for our first official half marathon.  Trying out different hydration methods and energy fuels/drinks is going to be an important part of getting ready for the race.  It takes place on May 13th, so we have several long runs to complete before then and so lots of time to test the products that interest us.

When I first saw the Gelbot, I knew it would be high on our list.  Scott, from Outside PR, was kind enough to send me a Gelbot to try out and review.

When the package I arrived, I opened it up to find all of these goodies....



There was a 24-ounce Gelbot and 20 packages of Gu energy gels in 3 different flavors.  I was thrilled!  And honestly, somewhat intimidated by the bottle itself.  I went immediately to the Hydrapak web site and watched a short video on how to use the bottle.  It is actually very easy, but the new plastic components were a bit stiff and I was a bit afraid to pull or push on any of the pieces... so The Captain finally took over and opened it all up for me.

There is a central chamber that you squeeze the gel into... it will hold 2 gel packets but he only put one into it this first time, to try it out.



Once the gel is in the chamber, you push the bottom piece up to meet the gel.




Then you fill the bottle itself up with up to 24 ounces of water, insert the gel chamber into the bottle, and tighten the screw cap securely.

It is very easy to use.. when you want water, you pull the nipple up and drink from it.  When you want gel, you just leave the nipple down and gently squeeze on the bottle.  All very simple once you know how!

The bottle fits very nicely into a water belt, but I did think that 24 ounces was a bit heavy so I poured about 4 ounces out, then placed it snuggly back into the belt,  and off we went.  And yes, we shared the same bottle that day!

It was a cool day when we tried the Gelbot out for the first time.  The nipple pulls out and pushes back down with your teeth, if you choose to do it that way... fingers work too!  We both found that the water came out really easily but not the gel.  We both had to suck on the gel as we squeezed the bottle, to get it to come out. Not a big deal once we got the hang of it, but not quite what either of us expected. 

The Captain thinks it was because the weather was so cool.  I thought it was perhaps because the gel is surrounded by cold water.  But, as The Captain pointed out to me, the gel is only surrounded by water when the top part of the bottle is still full.  As the water is used, the gel chamber is exposed to the air; the gel would get warmer and flow freer if the air was warmer.  (I tested this theory indoors later and he was right.) 

And then when we we were finished the run, and done with the Gelbot, it all came apart very easily to wash and store.



I would definitely recommend the Gelbot for anyone who uses energy gels.  It saves you the hassle of having to pack, open and dispose of, the packets during your activity.  It is easy to assemble and to clean. It is available in 2 sizes - 24 ounces and 20 ounces.

Have you tried a Gelbot yet?

Does this method of hydration/fuel appeal to you?

I was given these products to review at no expense to me, and the opinions expressed are 100% our own.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Boxing Day Blues and My Weely Recap

We had a lovely and quiet Christmas! 

I had a bit of soreness in my lower back when we went to bed last night and it was worse when I got up this morning. I was stiff and I wasn't sure at first whether it was muscular or internal... perhaps in my kidneys for instance.

After breakfast I decided to do a bit of a workout to see if I could make it better.  Wow was that a wrong assumption!

I put the Biggest Loser 2 DVD into the player and selected the warmup, functional fitness, bootcamp, women's sculpt, men's sculpt and cool/stretch... 55 minutes in total.

I did the gentle 5 minute warmup.  Then I did the 10 minute functional fitness segment using my one-pound gloves, and then the 15 minutes of bootcamp with my 5-dumbells.  I had a lot of trouble getting up and down off my exercise mat, but felt pretty good when standing.  Then I did the 10 minute women's sculpt which is just a lot of lunges and squats. I hit the pause button to get a drink of water and realized I had to quit.  I couldn't reach down to the couch to pick up my 5-pound dumbbells again and I could barely reach the remote to turn the DVD player and tv off. There was no way I was going to be able to pick up my exercise mat by bending over, so I rolled it up with my toe and then I did a very extended backward lunge, sliding my foot out behind me to get close enough to the floor to reach it and pick it up.

I had to gingerly sit on a hard bench, as I couldn't get low enough to reach the couch, and literally lift my foot by holding on to my pant leg to cross it over my leg to get my shoe off... then repeat with the other leg.  I decided that my problem is definitely muscular and that I was only aggravating it by moving around as much as I had been.

I made my way into the bathroom and popped an Ibuprofen, and then applied a muscle warming jelly, that I won in a giveaway from Megan, to my mid and lower back where I could reach and after that dried, I got out my Tommie Copper tee and put it on... then a turtleneck sweater.

The Captain came in the house from the garage, where he had been cleaning and organizing, and found me in 'not quite' agony... after he chastised me for being so stubborn,  he helped me don the Champion suit I got for him in Marcia's giveaway earlier in the year.. it is big and warm and soft and cozy... and then he made me some lunch and a cup of tea. 

A couple of hours later, I feel somewhat better. 

But I will definitely be relaxing and lazing the rest of the day!  But hey, I earned 2 HBBC points today and will certainly be eating all my freggies too!

My recap for last week is very sad and not worthy of a separate post.  It looks like this:

Sunday:
  • walk .5 miles
  • run 2.84 miles
  • stretch 5 minutes
Monday:
  • walk 1 mile
Tuesday
  • Biggest Loser DVD
    • warm 5 minutes
    • strength & sculpt 20 minutes
    • bootcamp 20 minutes
    • cool/stretch 10 minutes
Wednesday
  • walk .5 miles
  • run 4 miles
  • stretch 5 minutes
Thursday
  • walk 1 mile
Friday
  • walk 1 mile
Saturday
  • walk .5 miles
  • run 4 miles
  • stretch 5 minutes

Saturday, December 24, 2011

It's Almost Christmas Eve!

I just had to share this plate of pancakes that The Captain made for me this morning!  It is a decorated Christmas tree, surrounded by presents and snow flakes... aw, use your imagination a little, and you can see it can't you?


I did lots of cooking for our Christmas Dinner this morning... made up a Creamy Lemon Pie, a la Weight Watchers...



I will garnish it with lemon slices before serving...

and then made dulce de leche with the leftover condensed milk.  Then I cooked the cranberry sauce to go with the roast turkey.


By then it was lunchtime and the rain had stopped and the sky was turning blue so we quickly ate a bowl of soup, some toast, and shared a Mandarin orange.  Then we waited about half an hour before setting outto run the same 4 mile route that we did on Wednesday.  And yes, I remembered to take water along today and the running felt so much easier on the way back.

We ran that 4 miles in 2 minutes less today.  I am attributing that to being well-hydrated! 

W3 R52 @ 10/1 W4
stretch 5 minutes

Tonight we are going to sit down together and set up our half marathon training schedule.  I had some great advice from Sara, who writes Words to Run By.  And a lot of encouragement, too, I should add!

Wherever Christmas finds you, I hope you are happy, and warm and safe, and feeling the spirit and love that this special season brings!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Note to Self: Water is Important, Even in Cold Weather

I was so anxious to get out and run this morning.  The sun was shining and even though it was a cool 4°C (that is about 39°F) the air was dry for a really nice change.  It has been so moist here lately and that translates to cold at these temperatures.

We did bundle up though and headed off on a route I had mapped ealier...2 miles out and then 2 miles back along an urban trail that we can get onto near here.  I love these trails that run across the city.  There are always lots of people using them any time of the day, and they wind through parks, through suburbs and also industrial and urban areas.  I see lots of women walking, running, and biking alone or in pairs, even with strollers, which is a good sign to me that the trail is safe, too.

We started out kinda speedy for me and used 10/1 run/walk intervals today.  We hit the halfway mark right at 24 minutes and I was pretty sure it would take longer to get back cause the last half mile is uphill all the way. And it did!  We finished in just over 54 minutes... then the steep walk up the hill to the house!  This is a killer hill and the one I used in the Fall to practice hill repeats when I was learning the hill technique in Chi Running... we were house-sitting next door for a month at that time.  I am pretty please with that overall time.

W3 R54 @ 10/1 W4
stretch 5 minutes

I didn't carry any water with me today and I really need to do that.  I am a mouth breather and I get thirsty!  The Captain chews gum when we run but I am sure I would choke on it.  He says it helps keep his thirst down. 

I will take a water bottle with me when we go out on our weekend run, for sure.  My thirst seems to be worse in the cooler weather for some odd reason.  Am I working harder cause I am wearing more clothing?  Sometimes it feels like it.

By the time we walked up the hill to the house I was about ready to sit down for the rest of the day.  But I managed to get my outerwear and shoes off and then had 2 huge glasses of water before making our smoothies and stretching.

Is there anything more wonderful than a hot shower after you have been outside working up a sweat in the cool air?

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Ah, Thanks, Captain!

I love The Captain!

Today I made protein pancakes again for breakfast, and tossed about 1/2 cup of blueberries into the batter... they were a little overdone but he ate them up and smiled.  He is not really a fan of my protein pancakes OR blueberries.

Then, while I tidied up the kitchen, he washed the floor in the tv room and the dining room and front hall (all ceramic tile) so that I would have a nice clean spot in front of the tv to throw down my yoga mat to work out.

Then he went out and cleaned the barbecue so it will be ready to make the Chinese-Style Barbecue Pork I want to make for dinner... actually he will likely operate the BBQ as well.

What a guy!

My workout was so much fun today.

I got out some of my old workout DVDs and looked through them and finally selected the original Biggest Loser DVD.  I started it up and selected the Warmup (5 minutes), the Strength and Sculpt workout (20 minutes), the Bootcamp workout (20 minutes) and the Cool Down/Stretch (10 minutes). 



I used my 5-pound dumbbells for the Strength and Sculpt and then my weighted gloves (1-pound each) and 5-pound dumbbells for Bootcamp.  It has been a few months since I did much ab work or any pushups and I can sure tell now!

When I first bought this DVD a few years ago, I was really annoyed that the Cool Down/Stretch segment was 10 minutes long... instead of only 5.  But now I wish it were even longer!

I think we will get out for a run tomorrow.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Sunday Run, Short and Sweet

Hurray hurray, we ran today!

We are back in the hilliest of neighborhoods!  Running here is fun but hard.  Today we did a shortish 4.55 km around a well-loved route.  It was cool but sunny and very damp.  The damp makes me feel COLD till I have been running for a few minutes.

We did 10/1 run/walk intervals today.  The walk break normally does make me feel like I can kick up the running speed a bit... but today the lower calf muscle in my right leg was cramping almost from the beginning.  I think it did slow me down but I tried to ignore it causes I was just so happy to be RUNNING!

W3 R35 @10/1 W4
stretch 5 minutes

When we came inside I made us the most delicious smoothies... banana, unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, ground flax seeds and cinnamon.  Mmmmmm. 

So the week is off to a great start!

My Weely Recap.. Such as it is!

It was a challenging week fitness-wise. I knew it would be.  We packed up the car with items from the boat, cleaned the house basically from top to bottom before we unpacked and put away our stuff, and have been shopping, baking and cleaning ever since.  It has all been a lot of physical work in itself, but I did manage several walks and some aerobics.  Nothing to brag about by any means.... but on the other hand, I could have just done nothing and so all in all,  I am satisfied.... and glad it's over!

Sunday
  • walk 4 miles
Monday
  • walk 3  miles
Tuesday
  • walk 1 mile
Wednesday
  • walk 5 miles
Thursday
  • walk 2  miles
Friday
  • low impact aerobics - 1 hour
Saturday
  • Leslie Sansone DVD 4 mile walk
And I am happy to say that the sun is shining and we are about to head out for a run... hurray!

This is a lovely shortbread squares recipe that I posted on my food blog yesterday.  So easy and a nice twist on shortbread with the dried crans and white chocolate chips.



Friday, December 16, 2011

FitBlogger featured site December 16th

Today I am very excited... my food blog is the featured post on  FitBlogger.... here is a screen print from the beginning of the post.


I would love it if you would take a minute to go have a look and leave a comment.  And do check out FitBlogger for yourself to promote your own blog, too.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Moving Day Aches and Pains... Tommie Copper to the Rescue!

Wednesday was moving day for The Captain and me.

We got up about 6:30 a.m. and enjoyed our coffee and morning papers but by 7:30 a.m. we were hard at it again... finishing packing up what we could fit into the car for this first trip and making sure not to leave anything in the fridge!

We drove into the City and arrived at the house where we are to spend the next several months, just after 10 o'clock.  Boy Kitty met us at the front door and seemed genuinely pleased to see us, then headed outside!  I went to the guest bedroom to find Girl Kitty in her normal spot on the bed, and cooed and petted her for a minute, and she seemed happy to know we were in residence, and promptly went back to sleep.

Okay then, preliminaries taken care of, we went to work.  I cleaned the kitchen including all the appliances, and then everything in the main bathroom while The Captain vacuumed and got things ready for the cable guy... then started bringing in bags and boxes for me to unpack.  I put the contents where I wanted them in the pantry and fridge. We also stripped and laundered the bedding and remade it.  Then he helped me with our own laundry.

Little disclaimer here: This is not whining or complaining. Just stating facts.  These people we are house-sitting for were really busy getting organized to drive to Mexico for 6 months, and so we told them to just leave things and go, so we were fully aware there would be lots of work to do here on moving day.

All in all it was an extremely busy day and we are mostly set up - haven't put our clothes away yet, but that will happen today... and this morning we are off to Costco to pick up some groceries.  I have a freezer now, hurray!  And yes, we forgot some things we need back on the boat, but we will be going to check on her frequently so that is not a problem.

I wore a pedometer all day and after I got to 10,000 steps in the early afternoon, I took it off!  I didn't get out for a formal 'walk' yesterday, but I am going to call those 10,000 + steps my workout for the day!  All the bending and lifting was bonus.

By the time we rolled into bed after 11 p.m. I was exhausted.  It felt so great to be in clean crispy sheets in that king-size bed, in clean jammies, and so sleepy tired!  But I could feel a cramp starting in the back of my right leg, just below my knee.  I could not get comfortable lying down.  I tossed and turned and tried every position for that leg I could think of it and it just got worse.

Finally The Captain got up and went into the bathroom and brought me back my can of Tiger Balm.  That always does the job for me.  But not tonight.  All it did was rub off on my jammies and didn't do a thing for the leg discomfort. I was so annoyed.  How could I be so tired but not able to sleep because I was so uncomfortable?

Then I remembered that my Tommie Copper calf sleeve was packed in my running gear.  Hurray!  The Captain got up again, rummaged through my running clothes till he found it and brought it to me.  I sat up and pulled it on, snuggly right up under the back of my knee... and laid back down.  No cramp, no discomfort.  I laid and waited... and fell asleep.  And I slept right through till morning, quite soundly!

According to Tommie Copper, the calf sleeve can be worn to:


  • Reduce muscle inflammation in the calf


  • Relieve calf pain and shin pain


  • Stimulate circulation

  • 


    I am going to wear it all day today. 

    Tuesday, December 13, 2011

    Tuesday Tidbits

    The packing continues... yesterday food and staples from the salon lockers... always good to get to the bottom of the lockers to see what is actually there!  I do try to keep an accurate inventory, but things get missed.

    And today, I packed up the head (that's the powder room/bathroom) lockers... cosmetics, and what I refer to as 'drugstore stuff'... and then a few dishes from the galley I like to have along... also some clothing - running gear for sure!  And tomorrow morning, a bit more clothing and the contents of the refrigerator as we head to shore.

    I have managed to get in a couple of walks and tonight I will do a strength workout while I watch the finale of the Biggest Loser.

    Yesterday I made us each a smoothie in the afternoon with my newest addiction.... Coconut Dream!

    Last week I did a post on my food blog about using it to make our morning oats, and the lovely Christy left me a comment saying that she likes it in smoothies.  All righty then.

    I mixed half a cup of this luscious creamy coconut milk with a whole small banana, and the result was fantastic.  Thanks, Christy!  I owe ya one!

    Sadly,  I used the last of the carton in our oats again this morning, along with some raisins, and then a blob of chunky natural pb on the top! Mmmmmm.

    Today, Marcia posted a giveaway from Planet Gear that she has going on until December 17th, and also mentioned a great promo that Planet Gear has going on.  If you LIKE their Facebook Page by December 15th, they will donate a can of food to a food bank in your honor.  If you use Facebook, do go LIKE their page.  And check out Marcia's giveaway while you are at it!

    Tomorrow we move!  Hurray!  I am not very good in transition mode.

    Sunday, December 11, 2011

    Thanks to Christina... Succesful Protein Pancakes!

    I want to write a big SHOUT OUT and THANK YOU to Christina this morning.... you all know sweet and beautiful Christina who writes The Athletarian (and if you don't, get over there right now!)...

    A short time ago, after she first wrote about starting a new 12-week exercise program and food plan, I bombarded her with questions and she was so kind and so patient and so HELPFUL in her answers! 

    This morning I cooked some pancakes for The Captain (aka The Pancake King), based on a recipe that Christina suggested to me.  I was a bit nervous to make pancakes for him but they turned out prety darn good... good enough for a food blog post today at


    just in case you are interested in the recipe... they are flourless and quite tasty!

    
    The Captain is outside right now, retying the boat lines and filling up the water tank.  In a while he will start the boat and let her run for about an hour... good for diesel engines to run occasionally! 

    And then, because the sun is shining and it has become such a beautiful day, we are going for a long walk.

    Anything special planned for the day?

    Saturday, December 10, 2011

    My Week in Review... Tub or Shower?

    Sunday
    • walk 4 miles
    Monday
    • walk .5 miles
    • run 3.1 miles
    • stretch 5 minutes
    • upper body routine w/8lb dumbbells X3  15 minutes
    • lower body routine X 2  20 minutes
    Tuesday
    • walk 2 miles
    Wednesday
    • walk 5 miles
    • Kathy Smith interval routine  16 minutes
    • stretch 4 minutes
    Thursday
    • walk .5 miles
    • run 6 miles
    • strech 5 minutes
    Friday
    • walk 6 miles
    • stretch 5 minutes
    • upper body routine w/8lb dumbbells X 2  10 minutes
    • lower body routine  10 minutes
    Saturday
    • walk 5 miles
    All in all a pretty good week... I ran twice, walked a zillion miles in the glorious winter sunshine, and even added a 3rd strength routine this week... got a little core work in there too.

    And I am thrilled that I lost 3.6 pounds this week too.  Normally I don't need to lose any weight but I let a few pounds creep on me while I was fuelling my inactivity after my eye surgery in late October with Reese's peanut butter cups and Almond Joy bars!  The new Weight Watchers Points Plus 2012 program is great.  I concentrated on healthy and whole foods this week, and gave up the junky carbs and other-than-fruit sugar.  I am impressed.

    This next week is going to be a real challenge, exercise-wise.

    I had originally planned a run for tomorrow.  Our last before we move off the boat on Wednesay... but darn, it is just too much trouble.  Another nice long walk will have to do.  Monday and Tuesday we will be doing some packing.  Then Wednesday we move.

    We are moving off the boat to the house where we will spend the remainder of the Winter/Spring looking after a pair of kitties for friends who are heading South to spend that time on their own sailboat, which sits waiting for them in Mexico.  It is almost like going home as this will be our third year there.  We love the neighborhood and the kits.  And we have gotten to know the next door neighbors, too.  Earlier this year we spent a month at their house, looking after things while they vacationed in France.

    I quite enjoy our time in the city.  At one time, I thought I really didn't like Victoria.  But it really is very beautiful and there are so many opportunities to be active outdoors year round, both on land and on or near the water.  I have come to realize that I really don't like downtown ANYWHERE!

    Once we get settled on Wednesday, there will be lots of time the rest of the week to run, walk, and work out.  Hurray... I am already looking forward to long hot soaks in the bath tub... a winter luxury for me now!

    

    Are you a tub or shower person?
    Normally I shower, the tub is just for pleasure!

    Thursday, December 8, 2011

    Logging Some Miles, and a Confession!

    First, I have to admit that I did not do my Kathy Smith workout twice last night as I said I would.... I went through it only once and then stretched for a total of 20 minutes.  But that's okay, cause while I was running today, I could feel that I did work my abs!

    The point of today's run was just to get out there and log some miles.  We are only running twice a week right now cause it is just so cumbersome to run in the cool weather while we are staying on the boat.  So one more run either Sunday or Monday and that will be it cause we move mid-week to the house we will be staying at for several months.  More about that in another post.

    I packed a 1/2 litre bottle of water and some CLIF SHOT BLOKS for us to share along the way.  I really like these BLOKS and hope I can find them here in Canada.   They are tasty, easy to chew, and don't have to be washed down with water.

    So off we went, and I reminded The Captain that it was supposed to be a slow run today... about 12 or 13 times!  My slow pace is difficult for him as it is just barely more than his fast walk is and so I pushed myself a wee bit ... enough that he had to do a very slow run most of the time.

    We ended up along the waterfront today. It was a nice, but cool, day.  And as we approached the marina, almost done, the breeze picked up a bit and it was darn nippy. I was really glad I had my jacket on as I could tell that underneath it, my clothes were drenched with sweat, and I was starting to feel cool.

    We did a good stretch and then peeled off our wet duds in the cockpit before coming below to enjoy the chocolate and banana smoothies I made.  I was really glad I had taken the time to lay out all the ingredients for them before we ran, even plugging in the immersion blender and measuring out 2 servings of chocolate protein powder.  Mmmm. 

    9.6 km = 6 miles
    W3 R80 W4
    stretch 5 minutes

    We really enjoyed our hot showers today!

    
    

    Wednesday, December 7, 2011

    Strength Training... Keeping it Interesting

    I have whined blogged in the past about my lack of exercise space on the sailboat.  It is the reason I like to give when I question myself as to why I don't devote more time to strength training when we are staying on board.

    In the summer I can take my dumbbells out into the cockpit or onto the dock and do some work with them.  Or I may row the dinghy to get in some arm work.  Handling the sails takes strenth, too and I often get a good workout when it's my turn.  I am pretty uncommitted to strength train during the warm months, which is quite silly really... as this is when my arms and legs are likely to be on display.  Yes, I am that vain.

    During the winter, we are usually land-lubbers from November through the end of April, and I do lots of resistance work during that time.  I have a variety of workout DVDs that I use regularly, and I often find new routines on the internet that I will try out from time to time.  I have even borrowed DVDs and VHS tapes from the library to try out.

    But this year, we are staying on the boat 6 weeks longer than we normally would and although I have been doing a strength workout a couple of times a week, I know it is not enough... and quite honestly, I am getting tired of the one I made up.  I thought I could put up with it one more week, but I just cannot.  But I don't want to just give it up entirely for a week.  I feel like I have made some good progress the past several weeks and don't want to abandon it.

    So, today I started going through some records and found this workout that I copied from a library book  last year, and used a few times during the summer.  If you are not familiar with Kathy Smith, she is a long time producer of workout videos and author of several fitness-related books as well.  I have owned and used a variety of her workouts in the past... floor aerobics, STEP aerobics, interval training with weights, yoga, and one of my very favorites, a boxing workout.  I sorta feel like I have grown older with Kathy sometimes!

    These are the notes I made from the book, and this is the routine I am doing tonight:

    From Kathy Smith’s book… Getting Better All the Time

    
    Strength Training Workout - modified for the boat Pushups
    Bent-over Row
    Upright Row
    Pec Deck
    Basic Crunch
    Cross Crunch
    Bicycle Crunch
    Squat
    Plie Squat
    Reverse Lunge
    Bicep Curl
    Triceps Kickback
    Lateral Raise
    Inner Thigh Pull
    Standing Side Lift
    Frontal Raise
    Alternate 30 seconds of movement with 30 seconds of walking on the spot

    I will be going through it twice, so that works out to 32 minutes of actual exercise, and then I will add 3 minutes of stretching to it afterward for a total of 35 minutes.

    Do you strength train?

    Do you have a set routine or do you change it up?

    Do you tend to do more in one season over another?

    What do you do to keep your workouts interesting and fresh?

    Monday, December 5, 2011

    Hope Endures Virtual 5 k Today

    I knew that we planned to run the Hope Endures Virtual 5k today so last night I used Map My Run to design an out-and-back 5 km route from the marina to the centre of our town and back.

    It was gloomy and nippy.  Just the kind of morning that makes you feel like you need to get going to really warm up!

    We were running in honor of Courtney's infant daughter, Ashlyn, who passed away on December 2, 2008. 

    
    
    

    The Captain was also thinking of his Dad, who was born on December 5th, and who passed away in February of 2009.   And today is also the second birthday of my darling grandniece, Nahla.  A real mix of emotions going on, and very little chit chat on our run today.

    We did the first half in 17.5 minutes then turned around, had a 1 minute walk break and started running back.  Total time - exactly 37 minutes.  Not my fastest 5 km but the best I had in me today.  I was glad to have The Captain with me as he always pushes me a little bit.

    W3 R37 @17.5/1 W4
    stretch 5 minutes

    After we stretched, I made us both smoothies with chocolate protein powder and bananas... very nice and thick but not quite as tasty as they are with just plain chocolate milk.

    Saturday, December 3, 2011

    My Weekly Recap

    Other than Sunday, when I did no formal exercise at all, I had a good week. I ran a couple of times, walked several times and did a couple of strength routines as well. I also did a fair amount of stretching.... I am learning to love stretching after running and also after my upper body workouts.

    Sunday:
    • zippo!
    Monday
    • walk .33 miles
    • run 5.97 miles
    • stretch 10 minutes
    Tuesday
    • walk 2 miles
    • upper body routine w/8 lb weights X 2 - 10 minutes
    • lower body routine - 10 minutes
    Wednesday
    • walk 5 miles
    Thursday
    • walk .5 miles
    • run 4.15 miles
    • stretch 5 minutes
    Friday
    • walk 5 miles
    Saturday
    • walk 4 miles
    • walk 2 miles
    • upper body routine w/8lb weights X 3  - 15 minutes
    • lower body routine X 2 - 20 minutes
    I am enjoying the motivation I am getting from participating in the HBBC and Winter 100 Challenges, and also looking for decorations to put on my Christmas tree each day during the 25 Days of Christmas Challenge.

    I am hoping that Monday brings us a nice day to get out and run 5 km for the Hope Endures virtual 5 km, too.

    How was your week, fitness-wise?

    Are you motivated by the challenges going around?  Participating in any?

    

    Thursday, December 1, 2011

    M is for Motivation... and My Thursday Doubts

    It was grey and cloudy when I woke up this morning... it was supposed to be sunny and blue.  I was quite disappointed.  We had a run planned for today and I lingered over my morning coffee and a soduku puzzle.... The Captain made omelets and toast for breakfast and they were delicious!  I ate very slowly and enjoyed every bite.

    A while later, I wandered up the dock on a little scouting mission to check out the weather.  It was a cool 3°C and quite humid... which translates into cold and damp, and I DIDN'T WANT TO RUN!  I could hardly believe I really felt that way, but as I wandered back down the dock to the boat, I acknowledged it was true.

    It is so much trouble to run in the cool weather, especially when we are staying on the boat...  tights, jackets, gloves, headwear... and then making sure to strip off our sweaty gear in the cockpit enclosure so as not to bring the moisture inside... so much organization and todo that I really just felt like scrapping the whole idea.

    As I neared our slip,  I remembered that it is December 1st and that I was starting the 25 Days of Christmas Challenge today and that empty, unadorned tree on my blog popped into my mind... and I thought about The Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge and The Winter 100 Challenge... but it was cold and damp out there and I was arguing with myself and I really didn't know which side was going to win.

    As I opened the zipper on the enclosure and stepped inside, I started to wonder how I might tell The Captain that I didn't want to go... but when I came inside, he was warming up our running shoes in front of a space heater, and he already had changed into his running clothes.  How could I not want to go?  He only runs because I want to;  he runs only to keep me company, so if he was ready to head out, how could I possibly not go?  Well, of course I could not tell him it was off... I thanked him for warming up my running shoes, and quickly donned my gear too, and off we went.  I never told him about my doubts.

    As we ran, I warmed up of course, and the clouds started to break apart... the longer we ran the nicer the weather got and by the time we were done and doing our short cool-down walk, the sun was shining and there was a lot of blue sky showing.  The promised day had arrived.  I was so glad that I had made the decision to run today!  Not a long run, but a very enjoyable and kind of speedy run, and I had a whole new outlook on the day.  We ran an out-and-back route for a total of 6.64 km, according to Map My Run.

    W3 R47 @9/1 W4
    stretch 5 minutes

    After we stripped off our sweaty togs and left them to dry, we went below and put on cozy warm clothes and I made us each a smoothie with chocolate milk and an banana... mmmm.... now that was the icing on the running cake! 

    I earned my wonderful, steamy hot shower today!  And then I remembered I am going to a Weight Watchers meeting tomorrow morning for my December weigh in....

    What motivates you to get out go for a run, or hit the gym or jump into the pool, on a day you don't really feel like it?

    Here are some things that might do it for you, too:
    • Making a workout date with a partner or friend
    • Signing up for a challenge or event
    • Looking forward to a food/drink or other reward at the end of the activity
    • Making entries in a log book or on your blog or your Facebook page
    • Telling someone else what you are going to do, or Tweeting about it
    • An upcoming date with your scale or tape measure or skinny jeans!
    • Being able to look at yourself in the mirror and feel proud of your accomplishments
    • Looking at signs, posters, pictures, jewellery or clothing that gives you a confidence boost
    I hope you will share your motivators with me - I may need to call on them one day!