I am on a roll people. A February exercise roll! Here’s what’s been happening:
Monday Feb 1: after-work run
Tuesday Feb 2: after-work swim
Wednesday Feb 3: after-work run
Thursday Feb 4: morning swim
Friday Feb 5: morning run (this is the turning point)
Saturday Feb 6: glorious midday swim
Sunday Feb 7: rest day
Monday Feb 8: morning run
Tuesday Feb 9: morning run
I’ve discovered that I love running in the morning! LOVE IT.
I already knew that I preferred morning exercise so that I’d have my evenings free and it’s SO HARD to get motivated after working all day, not to mention how busy it is in my condo gym and the likelihood of waiting for a treadmill is high.
So I prefer mornings, but I thought they were impossible because I worked 7:30 am to 4 pm and have a 30-minute commute AND my condo gym won’t open until 6 am (and yes, I’ve been a squeaky wheel about this to no avail). Basically there isn’t enough time to workout and shower and drive to work.
A couple of weeks ago I changed my hours to 8 am to 4:30 pm and it’s made such an amazing difference. For the past two mornings I’ve been waking up at 5:45 am, running three miles on the treadmill, stretching and then going about my regular biznass. I love it. I put on the CP24 news channel, listen to my “Zune” and start running.
I feel like I’m pushing my bum pain luck with all of this running but so far I’m pain free. I think tonight I’ll tae a bath and read my new book club book and then watch American Idol. It’s Hollywood week!
First – I am sort of going to a bodybuilding competition. I’m going to the Arnold Sports Classic. I wonder if Arnold will be there … he better be! Or else…
Remember when I said I wanted to exercise less? Now I’m not doing enough. Six times a week is too much. Three times a week isn’t enough. I need to find a routine that is juuuuusssstttt right.
On Monday I did 12 minutes on the elliptical while waiting for a treadmill. It was torturous and I hated every second of it. I kept switching the level down to six and then would feel like I wanted to die, look at it again and see that it went back up to seven on its own. Seven = brutal. Six = alright. I remember I used to use the elliptical all of the time when I belonged to a gym. It was easy and fun. Now it’s killer and not in a good way. AND the ellipticals in my condo gym tell me my heart rate is at 88 when it’s obviously higher than 160. Not very motivating. Anyway the point is I hate it. Finally a treadmill opened up and I ran three miles or so. At the end I was experiencing some slight bum pain but nothing too major.
Yesterday (Tuesday) I swam for about 40 minutes in my pool. It was a good workout … and then a baby came and the whole pool smelled like a diaper. Not like what goes in a diaper … you know what I’m talking about … but just that diaper/baby smell. Normally I like it but not when swimming. It was weird.
Today I’m going to run on the treadmill again. I was going to go this morning before work but my bum was hurting a bit. I swear it attacks when I have runs planned. I would normally have a Wednesday date night but that’s on hiatus for a few months starting tonight – my bf is doing a course for work and it’s on Wednesday nights. This means that I get to watch a lot more Criminal Minds. I like mystery/murder shows but my bf doesn’t really.
Oh TV … I don’t really care too much about TV but I do enjoy the following programs:
1. Gossip Girl
2. Life Unexpected (that new show on WB … so far I’m digging it)
3. 90210 (cheesy I know but I watched all of Season 2 pvr’d during the xmas break and now I’m hooked)
4. American Idol (Simon cracks me up)
5. Iron Chef America
6. America’s Next Top Model
7. Project Runway
8. Vampire Diaries (love this one!)
9. Millionaire Matchmaker
10. Till Debt Do Us Part
11. Newlywed Nearly Dead
I guess that’s it. Most of them aren’t series so it doesn’t matter if I miss one… or them all haha. I used to like The Biggest Loser but I just can’t take those two hour episodes anymore. That’s TOO LONG! And they are all the same. Yeah, the players are different but it’s the same old same old. And what’s up with all the product placement, anyway? Trident gum, fine. But now all those BL specific products? It’s a turn off. (Like Jillian and her fat-burning pills.)
What TV shows do you like? Any recommendations for me based on my awesome TV-watching style?
In other news, I was/am growing out my hair including my bangs but now I’m wondering if that’s wise. I was going to grow out my bangs because I didn’t want to be one of those women from the 80s who wakes up in the 2000s still thinking they look totally rad rocking their perm mullet … you know what I’m saying (I hope). Never changing your style, having the same style forever, etc. Do I want to get caught in a hairstyle rut? Is that my destiny?
Anyhoo, growing it out is SO ANNOYING. I always liked having bangs. Maybe I should just embrace the bangs but wear them a little differently. I think I might bring my stylist these two pictures and ask her to create a mix of the two.
Thoughts? Should I go for the bangs or continue to grow them out?
What’s new?
My new running shoes came in the mail. I bought them from Running Free and it was a painless experience. I’ve had some bad luck with shoes over the past few months. How hard is it for a girl to buy some shoes online? I bought a pair from BackStreet Shoes, but they turned out to be men’s shoes. They gave me a full refund and let me keep the shoes (which I gave to ma boo) so it wasn’t all bad.
A few weeks ago I bought another pair on eBay. After the transaction was complete, the seller sent me a message saying that the shoes I bought were actually not the colour listed, so do I mind? I wrote back and said that I don’t care about colour, but, can you please check to make sure they are actually women’s shoes as I’ve had trouble with this in the past. A few days later, I got the following message: “Wow … they are men’s shoes after all.”
What in the world, people? It is that hard to distinguish between women’s and men’s running shoes? They do come in a box while clearly says “men” or “women” on them. Ay ay ay! The point is that now I have shoes again and I’m going running tomorrow. That’s Saturday.
I was hesitating to use my old shoes because I think they are a contributing factor to my bum pain, which thankfully is no more. This subject is boring … let’s move on.
Guess where I am going for a business trip in March? Here is a clue:
I’m really taking care of my New Year’s Resolutions!
1. Fix my bum pain.
So far … the bum pain is completely almost gone. I think I jinxed it a little because I thought I might try running tonight after work and then was a little stiff this morning. But yesterday I went back to my doctor who said my X-rays were all clear and I can resume activity anytime I want. Hooray! She said the pain is probably caused by muscle spasms. What causes that? Not completely sure!
2. Exercise less.
So far … well, I’ve done nothing AT ALL this week so … that’s not really the point. I will do something on Saturday. Perhaps running but probably swimming. Until then, I’m sitting on my bumhoolio. I REALLY need to buy new running shoes.
3. Spend more time on my artistic hobbies.
So far … I haven’t done this at all. I have a lot of extra work (homework) right now and it’s taking up a lot of my time. When I take a break I really want to take a break and by “break” I mean watching all of the 90210s I PVR’d in the fall and never watched. Shameless addict!
4. Concentrate on eating well.
So far … I’m definitely doing this! As you may know I don’t weigh myself regularly anymore but I did it on a whim last week and DAYUM … that’s why my pants are so tight and uncomfortable. I was about 10 pounds up from the middle of my happy maintenance (pants-fitting) range. But I’ve lost about five pounds of that so far (water weight anyone?) and am keeping track.
5. No buying clothes in January.
So far … I haven’t done this yet! Go me! I have bought other things like shampoos and food, but that doesn’t count. Clothes only and possibly shoes, unless the boots I’ve had my eye on go on sale, in which case resolutions go out the window.
6. Write more Examiner articles.
So far … Holla at yo’ girl! Here it is:How To Start a Running Program by yours truly. Now to keep it up!
And now … a question for you:
I’ve seen many bloggers write that they would rather be a bit heavier and eat the foods they love – rather than go back to the weight they were when they first lost weight and count/restrict their food intake. Personally, I think I’d rather have 100% of my wardrobe fit than eat as many cookies as I want. There are times when everyone needs a cookie, of course, but I’m talking in general. What about you?
If you don’t enter THIS “Amazing” giveaway by Jaime at Embracing Balance and read her blog EVERY DAY too. 
Welcome to resolutiontown, population one.
Without further ado, here are my New Year’s resolutions:
1. Fix my bum pain for good. Things are not going well, but I recently had more x-rays taken, some new prescriptions for pain including a weird muscle relaxer and a pain reliever (that actually sort of works – advil and aleve do nothing) and an appointment for physiotherapy. I’m feeling hopeful that physiotherapy will help.
2. Exercise less. Wha? (You might be saying.) I really enjoy exercise and while I don’t think I was overtraining, it was getting in the way of other things, such as me enjoying my weeknights. I have to go to bed early so after getting home from work, workout out, showering and eating dinner, my time was gone. No more! I’m committing to three or four workouts each week. Right now I’m doing nothing but a tiny bit of swimming.
3. Spend more time on my artistic hobbies. I love playing music, writing, sewing, drawing, doing crafts, etc. but have no time. Now that I’m freeing up some evenings, I’ll have more time for these things. This reminds me I have to get my sewing machine fixed. Maybe this weekend I’ll take it in.
4. Concentrate on eating well. I need to get into the habit of counting points again, at least during the week. So far so good. I don’t weigh myself anymore but I can tell when there is more junk in the trunk. Also – when exercising less it’s much more important (for me) to pay attention to what I’m eating.
5. No buying clothes in January. I spend way too much on clothes and my closet is overflowing. I don’t need any more winter clothes so I’m going to try not to buy any. Especially dresses – right now I have easily 20 to 30 dresses in my closet.
6. Write more Examiner articles. I’ve been totally slacking since well before Christmas. I’ve been using “being busy” as an excuse. While it’s true that I have a long workday and then do freelance stuff at night, not to mention workouts and spending time with friends, I still need to take care of business in this department because it’s something I am passionate about. I will have a new article up by Friday! Dammit!
Happy New Year everybody! Did you have a nice winter holiday? I did … because I was in the Dominican Republic. But sadly now I’m back in frigid, snowy Toronto. Actually it’s not so bad … so long as you don’t go outside or walk anywhere or have to pump gas. The worst is waking up early for work again. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! But so it goes until I retire, win the lottery, marry rich or die. Whatever happens first.
Do you like the dress in my pictures?
I do. It looks like a skirt and a top but it’s a dress. Imagine that! I took these photos in December. Do you see that thing with a cord that is sitting on my desk? It looks like a kettle but it’s better than a kettle. Why? Because it’s a TOASTESS. That’s a brand name, not the name of the item itself. Here it is. It’s called a “multi-pot”. Before I go on I feel I should mention that mine was $14.99 at the Wallymart. It can boil water like a kettle but it also heats up soup. This is good for when you are at your desk and too lazy to go into the kitchen to make lunch. I like it because when I use the office kitchen I have to microwave my soup and a) do we really know the effects of microwaving? (I still use the microwave daily – I’m just saying) and b) I like my food to be extra scalding hot at all times (sometimes I reheat my dinner two or three times while I’m eating it … but only when alone of course) and so I have to microwave my soup for at least five minutes and that’s not really fair to everyone else in my office during the lunch time rush.
I have some New Year’s resolutions to share with you all but they will have to wait until my next post because I have a very important appointment in a few minutes. Welcome 2010 – I hope you bring lots of fun and good things. =D
I think.
Here’s the holiday sched:
EDIT: no running because i just got caught with some terrible bum pain. it took me 20 minutes to walk from a store to my car (20 feet). ouch.
Monday (3rd last day of work): morning swim, afternoon bike, weights
Tuesday (2nd last day of work):
Wednesday (last day of work … holla!): swim after work
Thursday (xmas eve at bf’s):
Friday (xmas at parentals): swim in the morning
Saturday (relax, pack):
Sunday (going to Dominican): swim (at home, before leaving)
Yes, ridiculous but true. See you in the New Year.
I made it through last week unscathed. Now I have to Google unscathed to make sure I’m using it in the right context. Wholly unharmed – great success. I’ve learned the key to surviving the holidays is avoiding being drunk. There – I said it. This weekend I didn’t drink too much and I feel great.
Except …
my bum pain is back. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!
I think he’s saying DAMMIT.
I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s stress related. It’s got to be. There is no other reason for it to occur and it always occurs during periods of stress. I like to self diagnose. I’m not going to let it bring me down. It means I can’t run, but I can’t still do other things such as:
Monday: elliptical 30 minutes, weights
Tuesday: swimming
Wednesday: elliptical 30 minutes, weights
Thursday: rest
Friday: swimming
Saturday: elliptical 30 minutes, weights
Sunday: rest
For some reason I find the elliptical quite difficult. When I say quite difficult I mean it makes me want to faint/vomit and sweat beads are falling off my face at rapid speed and when I get off I feel all jelly/wobbly like Bridget Jones when she gets off the bike after spin class. It’s not pretty. AND even though I feel like I’m working harder than I ever have in my life, my heart rate is poking around at the low end. Why can I run with a heart rate of 150 and feel la di da, but elliptical at a heart rate of 125 and want nothing but to take the nestea plunge the entire time. Does anyone have the answer?
In other news, I’ve got another busy week (aside from work). Tomorrow is my 3-yearaversary so I’m putting together a special photo book of memories for ma boo. I do this every year and it’s a nice way to keep the moments alive. Cheesy but true! Here is one of the photos – us taking a horse-drawn carriage ride in Niagara Falls last Valentines Day. How romantique … well, it was romantic until we were having dinner later and realized that the smell from the horse blanket transfered onto us and we smelled like a big horse poo for the rest of the night.
Take a look at my calendar for the next two weeks:
As you can see, I’m very busy. I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t slack off on my workouts this holiday season. Not slacking on workouts = not slacking on yummy wine/cookies = happier overall.
Tonight I am hosting one of my book club’s holiday parties. It’s a potluck and a book exchange – so it should be a hoot. I spent zero time relaxing last night … I went to the gym and then was cleaning for the rest of the night. But, as tired as I am today (walking dead) it was worth it. I like to feel proud of my apartment and never have guests over unless the place is clean.
Tonight I am “bringing” a bigass salad (a la Jaime) and a veggie platter with hummus dip. I only have to chop a cucumber and some peppers – the rest (carrot chips, cauliflower, etc.) are pre-cut (purchased that way) and ready to go. I also bought those pilsbury pre-made chocolate chip cookies. The chocolate chips and green and red. FESTIVE! They are for the ultimate lazy cookie maker – already sliced and ready to go. I don’t have time for prep work!
The cookies look like this, except they are actually edible cookies, not a bag.
